What if I Told You I Care, Darling?
by Charlie'sLostVampire
Summary: After Klaus repeatedly saves Caroline from Tyler, the two grow closer. But what will happen when people begin to use that bond against him? Note: a work in progress; future chapters to come. Hints of Damon/Elena.
1. Awoken Emotion

Klaus had been very certain that his late night stroll through the woods to clear his head would be undisturbed. After all; who would be daft enough to irritate a hybrid past midnight?

He had been contemplating different ways to torture Stefan when he heard it; crying coming from somewhere nearby. Feminine crying from the sound of it. He frowned and started forward; if he was lucky, maybe he would snag a snack before he started back to civilization.

He was shocked to see who he found, curled up at the base of a large tree trunk with a nearly empty bottle of vodka in her hand, whimpering miserably.

"Caroline? What are you doing out here?"

She looked up. "I could ask you the same question." She sniveled.

He crouched down beside her. "Why are you crying?"

She turned away from him angrily. "Don't look at me. All of this is your fault."

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, that may very well be true… but please, enlighten me on what I did."

"You've either tried or succeeded in killing everyone I care about! Oh, and don't forget the fact that you turned Tyler into a stupid sired hybrid. He bit me because of you!"

Klaus sighed. "I told you that it was nothing personal."

"Nothing personal? It's always personal! I have come to the conclusion that no one cares about me. Matt doesn't want to be with me, Elena's too busy with Damon and Stefan, Bonnie's a stupid witch with her own… witchy problem thingies, and my mom is the sheriff. Which means she's never home for me to talk to. And now, Tyler is a hybrid. And he bit me."

"Caroline, Tyler still cares about you…"

"No, he doesn't! Otherwise he wouldn't have done this…" she whimpered as she pulled up her sleeve to reveal numerous bites which were quickly becoming gruesome.

Klaus' eyes widened and he gasped. "I didn't tell him to do that to you. I swear I didn't…"

She sniffled. "I know… I was wearing the bracelet."

"Tyler's bracelet?"

"No… yours. Tyler saw it and asked me who it was from, so I told him, and he… he got mad at me. He started hitting me, but he was stronger than I am, since he's part werewolf and vampire, and he pinned me down and he attacked me…" she started sobbing on her last few words, trembling in fear and obvious pain. "He's going to come after me when I don't die right away… he's going to kill me…!"

"No, he's not."

Klaus wasn't sure why he said it. But a part of him, a part he hadn't experienced in centuries, desperately wanted to comfort this poor girl. He didn't know what it was about her, but she was… different. Special. The kind of girl that needed to be protected, reassured, and showered with gifts and adoration. Clearly, she had never gotten much of that in the past.

"Caroline, I want you to listen to me, alright?"

"No. No, all of this is because of you…"

"I know. I know it is. I take all the blame for your pain, and I'm sorry. Deeply sorry. But, if you don't drink my blood right now, you're going to die much faster than you think. One bite is bad enough, but it looks like you have at least seven."

Caroline looked down guiltily. "I… I have more than just seven…"

Klaus frowned in confusion. "What…?"

She lifted the hem of her shirt to reveal four more bites on her stomach. She gave a harsh laugh. "The last time I was bitten this much was when I was human and sleeping with Damon."

Klaus looked up in surprise. "You slept with Damon?" he shook his head, though, brushing it off. "You need blood."

"No. No, I deserve to suffer…"

"Why would you ever think a thing like that?"

"Obviously I'm a terrible friend, and an ever worse daughter. Why else would everyone be… be forgetting about me…?"

She started to cry again. "Everyone hates me! Even my own father despises what I am! I don't have anybody…!"

Klaus sighed and shifted closer to Caroline, gently wiping her tears away. "Caroline, sweetheart, everyone has their faults. Perhaps you haven't been a perfect person to everyone in the past. But no one expects you to be. No matter what foolishness you choose to believe, your friends and your parents love you and care for you deeply. That's something I never truly had… I had to force them."

Caroline sniffled. "So I guess we're in the same boat, then?"

"No." Klaus shook his head. "No, Caroline, you will never be in the same boat as me. You're too… pure."

She scoffed. "Pure? I think you have me confused with someone else…"

"No, I most certainly do not. Caroline, please let me give you my blood. I guarantee you this world is a better place with you in it than without."

She cracked a tiny smile. "Why do you say that?"

His expression mirrored hers. "Because the world needs more passionate, caring, dedicated people like you, Caroline."

She giggled. "Do you really think that? Or is this nice act all some ploy to get something from me?"

Klaus sighed. "I completely see why you think that… but I guarantee you, every word I have told you is the complete truth. Something I don't offer very often. You should feel honored."

"Oh, I do. I don't think many people can say that you've offered to save their life twice in a week, let alone once in a lifetime."

He smiled as he moved to sit beside her, wrapping a strong arm around her shoulders and extending his wrist to her. "Drink, Caroline."

She sighed and gently bit into his wrist, indulging in the feeling of his blood, saturated with power, sliding down her throat and into her veins, slowly healing the numerous bites, scratches, and gashes Tyler had given her.

"That's it, sweetheart… take as much as you need."

If he was being honest, Klaus would have loved to stay right there, in that exact moment, cradling Caroline forever. For it had been years since he had experienced such an intimate moment with someone so… wonderful. Even if it was as simply a gesture as saving her life, yes that was simple to him, he was enjoying it greatly. For a moment, he felt sympathy for the Salvatore brothers, and all the things he had done, threatening to take Elena away from them. At the moment, were anyone to threaten to do the same to Caroline, he would have ripped their heads off. She was his to protect and care for, and anyone who got in his way would be severely sorry.

Caroline pulled away, her eyelids heavy. "Thank you…" she mumbled, slipping into sleep.

Klaus smiled softly, brushing hair out of her eyes. "You're welcome, dove."

_Dove,_ he thought to himself, _a perfect pet name for someone glowing with purity. Yes, Caroline Forbes was his precious dove. _

He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, and then whispered softly in her ear as he held her, "Don't ever listen to what anyone says, Caroline; no matter how bad things get, you will always have one person who cares for you. Never forget that I care about you."

Sighing, he knew the moment could last no longer. Caroline would now be strong enough, with his blood inside of her, to get home when she awoke. Gently shifting her so that she was tucked into a comfortable crevice in the tree, he stood and, sighing, took off for Mystic Falls. As much as he would have loved to have stayed there forever, he had business to tend to back home.

Number one on his list being dealing with a certain unruly, abusive hybrid.


	2. Flashback Flashforward

Caroline woke up, leaning against the tree, as the sun rose later that morning. She frowned in confusion and rubbed her head, glancing at her surroundings. When she caught sight of the empty vodka bottle beside her, she moaned as the nights events came back to her…

VvvvV

_"Caroline! How…?"_

_ Caroline looked up; she had been sitting in the Grill with Elena when Tyler walked in, looking floored to see her, well, alive; he had bitten her, after all. _

_ She sighed when he approached their table. "Hi, Tyler."_

_ He looked thoroughly confused. "How are you here? I bit you… shouldn't you be…?"_

_ "Dying? Already dead? Well, I would be if Klaus hadn't given me his blood."_

_ His eyes widened. "Klaus saved you? Why?"_

_ Caroline gaped at him. "Why? WHY? Would you rather him have let me die?"_

_ Tyler shook his head. "No! No, of course not. It's just…" he glanced at Elena, then back at Caroline. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"_

_ "Well, seeing as though you tried to kill me, I don't really want to go anywhere alone with you, Tyler." _

_ He looked guilty. "Care, I didn't want to do it…"_

_ "Oh, believe me, I know; it was an 'accident'…" she said, rolling her eyes. He had bitten her. She could be dead right now. Tyler was currently the last person she wanted to be speaking with._

_ "Please, Caroline? It's… it's about Klaus."_

_ She glanced at Elena, who sighed. "Maybe you should go with him."_

_ Rolling her eyes, Caroline stood up and followed Tyler out of the Grill. She stood on the front steps, waiting for him to start talking._

_ He continued over to his car, holding the passenger door open. "Can we go somewhere where no one will over hear?"_

_ She rolled her eyes. "Why? Who's going to care what you say?"_

_ Tyler looked anxious. "Please, Caroline?"_

_ She stood her ground for a moment, and then sighed, walking over and getting in his car, shutting the door herself. Tyler got in and they started driving away from the hustle and bustle of town. "Look," he said, "You know that I'm… that I'm sired. Somehow, I always manage to do exactly what Klaus asks of me, even if I don't want to do it. And… last night was a prime example of that. Caroline, he told me that I had to bite you! I didn't mean to, but I HAD to… you have no idea how sorry I am…"_

_ Caroline was confused now. "If he told you to bite me, why would he save me…?"_

_ Tyler shook his head. "I have no idea. I thought maybe he told you something."_

_ Had Caroline been human, she would have blushed guiltily; Klaus had told her something. Lots of somethings. Sweet, kind, adoring words that no one had imagined him capable of. Words she swore she would never repeat to anyone. _

_ "No… he didn't say anything. He… he just said it was collateral damage."_

_ Tyler gave a harsh laugh. "Bastard… look, Caroline, you have to understand; I didn't want to do it. It was an accident… you know that I love you, and would never hurt you."_

_ Caroline nodded as she fiddled absentmindedly with the bracelet on her wrist. "Yeah…"_

_ Tyler looked away from the road for a moment, catching her toying the the jewelery. He frowned in confusion, looking back at the road. "Where did you get that?"_

_ Her eyes widened in horror when she realized what she had just done; for, she wasn't wearing Tyler's charm bracelet… she was wearing the bracelet made of tiny, diamond hearts that she had found from Klaus this morning. She had tried it on, and forgotten to take it off… or she hadn't wanted to. After all, diamonds were a girl's best friend._

_ "It was a… gift."_

_ Tyler rolled his eyes. "I kind of assumed that, Caroline. I meant, who gave it to you? It looks expensive."_

_ "Yeah… yeah, it probably was."_

_ "Well? Who's it from? The only guy who could afford something like that would be Damon, and I'm pretty sure he'd splurge on Elena first… wait."_

_ Caroline bit her lip nervously. "What?"_

_ "If it isn't from Damon, which it's obviously not right?"_

_ She nodded. "No… it's not from Damon."_

_ "That only leaves one person in Mystic Falls who has the kind of money to spend on something like that."_

_ Caroline could feel dread filling her. "Who?'_

_ Tyler looked angry. "Who gave it to you, Caroline?"_

_ "It… it was by my bed this morning."_

_ "Who gave it to you, Caroline?" Tyler repeated more loudly, looking furious._

_ Caroline was getting scared. "Tyler, calm down…" she whispered, and gasped when he slammed on the brakes, causing the tires to screech to a stop and throw her forward. _

_ "It was Klaus, wasn't it? WASN'T IT?"_

_ "Yes! Okay? It was Klaus."_

_ Tyler bared his fangs in fury. "He's manipulating you, Caroline! You can't trust him!"_

_ "I never said I did!"_

_ "Then why the hell are you wearing THAT?" He snapped, turning his frightening hybrid eyes on her. She shuddered and backed against the door. "I… I tried it on this morning, and I guess I forgot to take it off…"_

_ "Don't lie to me!" Tyler yelled, reaching across to tightly grasp her shoulders. _

_ "Tyler, stop it…!" Caroline sobbed. _

_ "Forget it. Forget all of it. After everything we've been through, and you're choosing that BASTARD over ME?" _

_ "Tyler, stop!"_

_ "Don't tell me what to do!" he yelled, and she let out a choked sob. _

_ "You're hurting me!" she screamed at him, and his eyes took on the more bloody red of his vampire side. "Hurting you? You think this is hurting you? I'll show you just what hurts, Caroline! Your boyfriend won't be able to save you this time!"_

_ Caroline sobbed in terror, and gave an agonized scream when he bit viciously into her arm. _

VvvvV

Caroline bit back a sob as she remembered it. Tyler had continued on to bite viciously at every soft spot her could reach, and then dumped her out on the road, driving away. She had ran as far away as she could, coming across a corner store and steeling a bottle of vodka before taking off for the woods, far away from Mystic Falls. She was going to die. She could feel it. One bite was bad, but over twenty? That was a death sentence worse than any other. She figured she would try the Damon method; drowning her pain, emotional and physical, in alcohal. She had been perfectly ready to die when the last person she had expected to see had found her; Klaus.

Thinking back to that part of her night, she couldn't help but think that many parts had been… intimate. He had genuinely cared about her, and her well being. He had saved her life, comforting her until she allowed him to do so. She couldn't help but compare it to the way that Damon seemed to treat Elena; only kind and caring toward her, while he was a raging bastard to everyone else.

She sniffled, checking her body for bite marks; of course, Klaus's blood had healed her completely, and she felt just as she did any other day.

But… where had he gone? And why had he left her here, by herself?

She had been about to start for home when the loud, distinct sound of struggling came to her attention as it drew closer to her.


	3. Savior of the Desirable Dove

Klaus found Tyler less than twenty minuets after he left Caroline. One of the perks of having someone be sired to you is that you can find them anywhere. Right now, Tyler was standing behind the Mystic Grill, draining a teenage girl of her blood whilst holding a bottle of what looked like rum in one hand.

He glared and stormed forward, shoving Tyler away from the girl, causing him to jump and drop his bottle, causing it to shatter on the pavement. He squinted, and glared when he saw who it was.

Klaus turned to the girl, who looked half dead. Sighing, he bit into his arm and fed her enough blood to heal the wound. Then he compelled her to go home.

He slowly turned to glare menacingly at Tyler. "Care to explain yourself, Tyler?"

"For what, _Klaus?_" he sneered the name and Klaus glared, lunging forward and pinning Tyler to the wall behind him by his neck.

"How about for that moronic stunt you pulled with Caroline?"

Tyler glared. "You told me to do that…!"

"I didn't tell you to go after her a second time! I certainly didn't tell you to brutally mutilate her and then dump her in the middle of nowhere!"

"Oh, so that's what this is about? Well, excuse me for being angry that you were hitting on my girlfr…"

Tyler grunted when Klaus threw him across the lot, sending him flying into a rusty chainlink fence. "The only one who was _hitting _on Caroline Forbes was _you_. Do you realize the condition you put her in? Do you realize the agony she was very close to reaching when I found her, all alone, in the woods? If one single werewolf bite causes a vampire to halucinate their worst nightmares and die, can you imagine what _twenty-seven _would have done to her?"

"And why do you care? You're only using her to get back at Stefan."

Klaus glared. "You have no idea what my intentions toward anyone are, Tyler, and you never will. But listen to this, you ungrateful little hybrid; if you so much a go near Caroline again without the sweetest of intentions, I will end your miserable excuse for enternal life. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Tyler glared up at his master. "I'm afraid not, _master._ Infact, I think I'll go find Caroline and see if she wants to be…" Tyler bared his fangs, "Hit on some more."

He then took off like a shot in the direction of where he had left Caroline, and Klaus took off after him in horror. He wasn't sure how many times one young vampire could take being bitten before even his blood could do no good.

VvvvV

"Tyler, I swear I'll kill you!" Klaus yelled as he chased him through the woods, which were beginning to lighten.

He heard Tyler laugh, and couldn't begin to imagine what had caused this side of him to take over. It couldn't be just because he was drunk…

He felt an emotion he wasn't very accustomed to, fear, sink into his stomach as Caroline's heavenly scent washed over him. She was close. To his horror, Tyler was closer.

Just meters from the spot Caroline was in, Klaus managed to grab onto Tyler, attempting to restrain him.

Tyler's eyes were wild as he tried to yank away drawing them closer and closer to Caroline every second.

"Tyler, stop it!" Klaus snapped viciously at him, and a second later they were standing in the same spot Klaus had been in a few hours ago.

Caroline gaped at them with clear horror and terror.

"What is going on…?" she squeeked.

Tyler snapped and snarled at her. "You're supposed to be dead. You should be dead, you cheeting little bitch…!"

He yanked forward toward her against Klaus's restraint.

"Run." Klaus said to Caroline, his eyes and voice instense. "_Run!_"

She took off like a flash, gone in a few seconds. Once she was gone, Klaus threw Tyler to the ground, pinning him there. "You are pathetic. How could you thirst to hurt something so pure?" he snarled at him.

Tyler scoffed. "This coming from the monster who killed three innocent women to become a hybrid?"

Klaus shook his head in disgust. "Like it or not, you are still my hybrid, and you have a duty to be loyal to me. So, get the hell out of this town and stay… away… from Caroline."

Tyler looked furious. "I don't have to do what you say…"

"Oh, you may think not, but you will end up doing exactly what I tell you eventually."

He let Tyler up, gave him one last disgusted look, and took off, back to Mystic Falls.


	4. Toying with the Heart of the Devil

"So, where did you disappear to last night?" Elena asked as she sat across from Caroline in the Grill later that afternoon.

Caroline shrugged. "I… stayed in."

Elena frowned. "Stayed in where? Because I tried calling your cell, and your home phone but no one answered."

"My mom was working, and I went to bed early."

Caroline knew Elena didn't believe her, but was grateful that she didn't pry.

"So," Caroline asked in attempt to change the awkward subject. "What did _you _do last night?"

"Oh." Elena asked, and Caroline could tell she had been hoping that question wouldn't come up just as much as she had. "I… I was, um… with Damon."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "So, you swear you aren't switching Salvatores? Because you've been spending a lot of time with Damon lately, even when you don't really need to…"

"We're friends, Caroline." Elena said, emphasising the word 'friends'. "Just friends."

"Really? Then what did you two do last night?"

Elena frowned. "What did _you _do last night?"

The two were clearly pushing each other's limits, and Caroline was silently grateful when Damon suddenly appeared by their table, seeming uncustomarily chipper. "Elena." He grinned, and then turned to smile at Caroline. "Blondie."

Elena's bad mood seemed to disappear completely when she saw how happy he seemed. "What has you so cheerful?" she asked, and he shrugged casually.

"You'll both find out soon enough. Let's just say, it involves everyone's favorite hybrid."

Caroline furrowed her brow. "What about him?"

Damon grinned. "I wasn't talking about Tyler, if that's what you think."

Caroline glared down at her coffee. "Neither was I."

Damon looked confused. "You're still made at him about your birthday…?"

"No. Not about my birthday, anyway. I… have to go."

Elena looked worried. "Care, are you okay?"

"Yeah." Caroline said, standing and picking up her purse. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay…" Elena said, and she and Damon watched her leave in obvious confusion.

VvvvV

Caroline, keeping her head down, opened the door to the Mystic Grill, and jumped when she bumped into someone. She knew, when they weren't sent flying backward due to her force, that he wasn't human.

"Caroline."

She looked up, and sighed when she saw Klaus. Not because she was relieved to see him; it was more because she was relieved it hadn't been Tyler.

"Hi." She said, and started to walk around him.

"Wait." Klaus said, grabbing her arm.

She felt confused when he did so; his grip wasn't tight or restraining… it was gentle. As though he were requesting she wait, but not forcing her to do so.

"What?" she asked, pausing.

"How are you?" he asked. "Did the bites all heal?"

She bit her lip, looking down. "Yes."

Klaus sighed. "You still blame me, don't you?"

She looked up at him, as though she were contimplating something. "No." she finally said. "No, I don't blame you for what happened last night. Tyler didn't do that because he was sired… he did it for some other reason. I… just wish I knew what I did to set him off. The bracelet shouldn't have made him so mad."

He trailed his hand down her arm, touching the bracelet that was still donned on her wrist. "You're still wearing it. A bit of a risk, don't you think?"

She frowned. "It's pretty, and I can wear it if I want to. Screw Tyler."

Klaus grinned, chuckling. "You have spunk, Caroline."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "So I've been told."

He tilted his head to the side as he looked at her. "Could I buy you a coffee?"

"Actually, Elena and I just…" she trailed off as she seriously considered what he had just said. Klaus, _Klaus, _had just offered to by her coffee as though there was nothing wrong with him doing so. But there was. Everything about her even talking to him like this was wrong. He killed people. People she cared about. She should hate him with every fiber of her being.

But she didn't.

"You know what?" she asked, glancing around to see if anyone was listening. "Sure."

Klaus smiled. "Cream and sugar?"

She smiled as he held the door open for her. "Of course."

VvvvV

"Elena, you're awful at this."

She frowned at Damon as she executed another poor shot in their game of pool. "I suppose you could do better, Mr. Good-At-Everything Vampire?"

"Yes, yes I could." Damon said, a teasing grin playing on his lips.

He walked over to where she was getting ready to shoot again and wrapped his arms around her, helping her adjust her aim. "You're hitting it too far to the left…" he breathed in her ear, and she shivered at his closeness. "Damon…" she complained a bit breathlessly.

"Elena…" he cooed, pulling her arm back, preparing her for the shot. "And then you have to hit it just like…"

"Oh, my God!" Elena gasped suddenly, causing Damon to jump and hit the pool ball with such force that it flew off the table and shattered water jug on a nearby table, causing a few people to shriek.

"Elena, for the love of…!" Damon snapped, jerking away from her in irritation.

She smacked his arm. "Look!"

He followed her gaze, and his eyes widened as well. "What the hell is she doing?" he hissed when he caught sight of Caroline taking a seat across from none other than Klaus.

"Something stupid, obviously." Elena complained.

"She's going to the bar to order something… I'll talk to her."

Elena bit her lip; she knew when Damon said "talk" it wasn't going to be your average concerned chit chat, and no one would be happy when it was over.

VvvvV

"No sugar." Caroline scoffed as they sat down. "Pathetic."

Klaus chuckled. "Yes, it is. How dare they forget the sugar?"

She grinned playfully. "Are you making fun of me?"

His eyes widened and a grin tugged at his lips. "I'm hurt, Miss Forbes."

She shook her head as she stood. "I'm going to go up to the bar and ask for some."

He nodded. "I'll be sure to ask them for a coco latte when they come to take my order. I'm assuming you're a chocolate kind of girl?"

"Is there any other kind?"

Klaus chuckled and watched her as she walked over to the bar.

"Hey, Matt?" she called when she was up there.

"Just a sec, Care." He said as he disappeared into the kitchen.

"What do you think you're doing?"

She frowned and turned to see Damon standing behind her, glaring daggers. "What do you want?"

"Do you realize who you were just sitting with?"

"Obviously; he's buying me coffee."

Damon took a step closer. "Are you insane?" he hissed furiously. "He'll kill you…!"

"He saved my life, Damon. He's not going to kill me, otherwise he would have let me die."

"Did you ever think that he's plotting out ways to kidnap you as we speak? All he cares about is getting back those coffins from Stefan. If he's ordering you coffee, it's only to spike it with vervain."

Caroline's lip twitched nervously. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Damon could be right. It could all just be another scheme to get back at Stefan.

She looked over at where Klaus was sitting, arms folded across his chest as he waited for her to return. She turned back to Damon, unsure of what to say.

"Let's go." He said, grabbing her arm and starting to pull her away.

"No," she hissed quietly, pulling her arm back, flinching when Klaus turned his attention toward them, a frown forming on his lips.

"Caroline, don't be stupid. Let's just get out of here…"

"No!" she repeated when he tried to grab her again. "Just go take care of Elena. She's the only reason you're over here. I can take care of myself."

"Caroline, stop being an idiot! I swear to…" he snapped, grabbing her arm roughly and starting for the door.

"Damon, let go of me!" she squeeled, trying to pull away and failing. They had gotten half way to the door when Klaus was in front of them, glaring daggers at Damon, causing Caroline to jump.

"I suggest you let her go, Damon." He said pointedly.

"I suggest you stop messing with her head, Klaus." Damon sneered, not releasing Caroline's arm.

"All I'm doing is buying her coffee. If I wanted to mess with her head, I'd have compelled her by now."

"And how do I know you haven't already? Why else would she want to spend any time with the likes of you?"

"I told you, Damon; as long as you all behave, I have no reason to retaliate. Why would I toy with sweet Caroline for no reason?"

Caroline could feel nervousness bubbling in her stomach. What was she doing? Damon was right; Klaus was the bad guy. For all she knew, she very well could be compelled right now. He could also be planning to kidnap her, as trading material for his family; not that Stefan would ever comply in the state he was currently in…

"Damon, just let me go. I want to go home."

Damon glanced down at her, and released her arm. "Fine."

She quickly exited the Grill, and Klaus glared at Damon. "What in hell is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Damon asked. "I'm not the one leading innocent girls on only to use them later."

Klaus laughed bitterly. "Oh, really? Because Caroline told me that she used to sleep with you. Don't tell me you loved her, Damon, because we all know you only ever loved Katerina. You used her more than I ever have."

Damon glared. "Just stay away from her."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Really, now? Because… I've been invited in. If I wanted to, I could be near her whenever I wanted to be; you may not even know I'm there."

Damon shook his head in disgust, turning and walking back to Elena.

"Oh, come now, Damon; we all know that, not even two years ago you were exactly like me. The man who desperately wanted something that was supposedly hidden in the charming little town, and who would do anything to get it back. So, don't judge what I do too harshly. After all… everyone seems to have forgiven you for the terror you reaped on them."

With a final grin, Klaus turned and left the restaurant.

VvvvV

Caroline sat on her bed, staring at her bedroom door nervously, he gaze shifting to the diamond bracelet glittering on her nightstand every few moments. She was going insane with confusion, hurt, and anxiety. She had no idea who to believe anymore. In the end, it seemed like the only person she could count on was herself.

Hugging her teddy bear to her chest, she stiffled her crying in her pillow. Of course, it had all been a ploy. It was the only way any of it made any sense. No one ever chose her first. It was always Elena. She had liked Stefan; Stefan chose Elena. She thought Damon liked her; it was all just to get closer to Elena. Be Bonnie's best friend; she would prefer to be with Elena. She dated Matt; Elena got there first. Date Tyler; he had a crush on Elena in junior high. Fall for Klaus' charms; all to get his coffins back from Stefan, who stole them to get revenge for the things he did for Klaus to save Damon, who got bitten trying to save her from the sacrifice, which once again all boiled down to none other than _Elena._

She whimpered, feeling like an awful person. How could she blame Elena for all of this? It wasn't her fault that the Salvatore's had fallen in love with Katherine, which drew them to her. It wasn't her fault she was popular and desirable. It wasn't her fault that every guy loved her and fawned over her. It certainly wasn't her fault that she was a doppleganger.

Caroline knew she was just looking for someone to blame. She hated herself for that quality that she possessed; yet another thing to add to the list of things she hated about herself, along with being possessive, selfish, and a regular bitch when she wanted to be.

She stood up silently and decided to go downstairs and wallow her sorrows in junk food; alcohol had taken its toll last night, and she decided being drunk was the last thing she needed right now.

She had been ripping into a bag of Doritos when there was a knock at the door. Peaking around the corner she felt her stomach plung; Klaus was standing there. She quickly ducked back again in terror, trying to decide what to do. He knew she was here; he had obviously seen her. She found herself sobbing again, a combination of fear and hurt. Why did he have to do this to her? Why couldn't he just find someone else to use against Stefan?

There was another knock. "Caroline?" he called. "Can I come in?"

She bit her lip and rounded the corner again, starting for the door. She cautiously opened it, ready to run at any second.

He frowned when he got a closer look at her, noticing the tears still trailing down her cheeks. "You're crying again. Why are you still crying?"

She glared at him. "What do you want, Klaus? To kidnap me? To kill me?"

He looked genuinely hurt. "No. I don't."

"Oh, stop lying! There is no way you would ever be here just to talk to me! You obviously want something from me, otherwise you wouldn't have saved me all those times."

He sighed; he was beginning to regret the reputation he had bestowed about himself upon this girl. He didn't want her to hate him. He didn't want her to be scared of him. Despite his best interest, he had hoped that, perhaps, she could be his… friend.

"Caroline, I don't want anything from you. I only came here to be sure that Tyler had paid you any unwanted visits."

She glared. "Well, he hasn't. So, if that's all you wanted, please go away."

He glanced at her wrist, noticing it was bare. "This is because of what Damon told you, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't just about what Damon said! It's about the fact that you kill everyone, Klaus! You killed Jenna, and Elena, and Dana, and you nearly killed Mr. Saltzman, not to mention you turned Tyler into some crazed sociopath of a hybrid! I hate you, and I just want to be left alone!" she was crying harder as she slammed the door in his face, running back upstairs and locking herself in her yellow bathroom with it's pearly white finishings. She slowly slid down the wall, sinking to her floor, sobbing harder than she had in months. She should have known that it would be the king of all hybrids that caused her to finally have her breaking point meltdown.

VvvvV

Klaus stood, dumbfounded, on the Forbes' doorstep. Caroline had just told him that she despised him, and then slammed the door in his face. Had it been another woman, he would have likely forced himself on her.

But it wasn't just any woman. It was Caroline. His darling little dove. He would only ever comply to what she wanted, and if she chose to hate him…

So be it.

Feeling very pitiful, he walked down the stairs and disappeared into the night.


	5. Someone to Care

Elena was getting worried. Very worried. She had tried calling Caroline six times, and she wasn't answering.

"Do you think something happened to her?" she asked Damon nervously as she hung up and went to sit beside him on one of the many leather couches in the boarding house.

Damon bit his lip. "I don't know."

"Well, we need to do something! We should go check on her…"

"No." Damon objected when she stood up. "I'll go. If Klaus is there, I don't want you in danger."

Elena rolled her eyes as she headed for the door. "I'm his doppelganger, Damon; he isn't going to do anything to me. Caroline is one of my best friends, and I need to go see what's wrong."

Sighing, Damon agreed and the pair walked out the door and out to his car.

VvvvV

After hours of sobbing, Caroline had fallen asleep, slumped beside her sink. She was so out that she didn't even hear the door open downstairs as Damon and Elena rushed inside in search of her.

Elena walked past Caroline's open bedroom door, noticing the light on, shining under the bathroom door.

"Damon," she hissed, "I think I found her."

The pair crept into the bedroom, and Damon opened the bathroom door.

"Caroline!" Elena gasped in horror when she saw the state her friend was in. She rushed over and shook her, and Caroline gasped into consciousness.

"Elena!" she gasped. "What are you doing here…?"

"What happened to you?" Elena asked.

"Um… nothing. Yeah, I… I guess I was upset, and I fell asleep in here…"

"Why were you upset?" Elena asked as Damon helped Caroline stand up and they lead her over to her bed.

Caroline sighed; she had to tell them. They would find out eventually, anyway. "Last night… I didn't stay in. Do you remember the bracelet I was wearing the other day?"

Elena nodded. "The one that you didn't know who gave it to you?"

Caroline bit her lip. "I lied. Klaus gave it to me."

Damon felt like shouting at her, but kept his mouth shut.

"And, you remember when Tyler asked if he could talk to me, and I left with him?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah. You guys worked things out, didn't you?"

Caroline shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes again. "He… he saw the bracelet, and he… he knew it was from K-Klaus, and he got… he got _mad…_"

Elena and Damon both frowned. "Caroline," Elena said nervously, "What are you saying…?"

"He attacked me, Elena! He bit me, and he wouldn't stop… I was hiding in the woods, dying, and Klaus found me… he saved my life…!"

"Oh, my God…" Elena breathed.

"And then he tried to kill me again this morning… he hates me!"

Elena pulled her sobbing friend into a tight hug, and Damon was seething. "Why didn't you say anything?" he snapped.

Caroline sucked in a shakey breath. "I… I didn't want anyone to know…"

"How did _Klaus _find you?" Elena asked.

Caroline shook her head, still crying. "I don't know…"

"He obviously planned the whole thing, that's how. He can't be trusted, Caroline! He'll make it seem like he can, and then he'll finish you off while your vulnerable. You can't get close to him!" Damon snapped.

Caroline continued to let her tears fall. "Can't you just leave me alone?" she snapped at Damon. "I know I can't get close to him! He's evil." She sniveled.

Elena couldn't help feeling bad; Caroline had to receiving tons of mixed signals. First Tyler attacks her, and then the man she was supposed to despise keeps saving her life. It was like…

She gulped. _It was like her and Damon. _

"Care, do you want to come over? You shouldn't be alone…"

Caroline shook her head. "I'm just going to go to bed. I want to be alone."

Elena looked up at Damon, who shrugged helplessly and nodded toward the door. Elena sighed. "We'll leave you alone, then."

Caroline nodded.

Damon left the room, but Caroline called Elena back. "Elena?"

Elena turned when she reached the door. "Yeah?"

Caroline looked extremely hurt as she looked at her friend. "Why can't I ever be happy?"

Elena bit her lip, unsure of what to say. She sighed. "You just haven't found the right guy yet, Care."

Elena turned and left, and Caroline frowned once they were gone. "Maybe that's because they always go for you first."

VvvvV

Elena frowned in confusion when she and Damon entered the boarding house, and he stormed down into the celler. "What are you doing?" she asked nervously when he grabbed a dufflebag and began tossing stakes and vervain and wolfsbane injectors inside. "Are you going after Klaus?"

Damon scoffed. "Are you crazy?" he asked as he loaded a gun with wooden bullets. "I'm going after Tyler."

Elena looked horrified. "What are you going to do? Damon, you can't kill him…!"

"Why not?" Damon snapped, whirling on her. "He's just another hyrbid now, Elena. He tried to kill Caroline. The first time may have been an accident, but then he _attacked _her. How are we supposed to know it isn't going to happen again?"

"Damon, you can't just kill him! This is _Tyler_…!"

"I don't care who it is, Elena! What if it isn't Caroline next time? What if it's someone else?" he took a step toward her, his eyes serious as the gazed into hers. "What if it's me?"

Elena looked horribly torn. "Damon… you can't… you can't just kill him…"

"I don't have a choice anymore, Elena. Klaus is only going to spare so much of his precious blood before he stops helping. If Tyler bites someone important and Klaus refuses to help, we're all screwed."

Elena grabbed his arm as he started for the stairs again. "Damon… please."

He stared into her eyes. "You do realize that, if I go after Tyler Lockwood right now, I may come back bitten. Klaus isn't going to help me if I do. So, if you have anything you want to say to me, say it now."

Her lip quivered. "Don't go."

He shook his head. "I have to."

He then left her there, dashing upstairs and back out the door.

VvvvV

Klaus sat in the Mystic Grill at the bar, glaring down into his glass of scotch. He had finished off two collage girls before he came here, and was now seething. Why was it so hard for one stupid, innocent girl to believe that he had perfectly normal intentions toward her?

_Because she's smart, _he thought in annoyance, _She knows better than to trust me after all I've done. _

_ Damn it. _

"Why do you do it?"

He frowned in confusion and turned around to find Caroline standing behind him, looking on the brink of tears. Still.

"Why do I do what?" he asked, tired of answering questions.

"Honestly? Why do you save me? Are you capable of answering me honestly just this once? Are you only doing it so you can use me, or is it something else? Because I need to know. I need to know whether someone really cares, or whether I really am… all alone…"

She started to cry and Klaus frowned. "Why are you even asking? If I say that it's something else, you aren't going to believe me. So you may as well go on believing that I'm only using you. It's the smarter option."

"But it's not fair!" Caroline cried as he turned away from her again. "It's not fair for you to save me for no reason! Why can't you just let me die?"

People were turning to look at her in shock, and Klaus turned to frown. "Can we not do this here?"

"Then take me somewhere else. I need to know the truth for once. For once in your life just be honest with someone!"

Klaus stood up and grabbed her arm, pulling her from the restaurant and out the front doors. "Are you insane?" he snapped. "How can you yell things like that in public? Do you want a stake driven through your heart?"

Caroline pulled her arm away, taking a step back. "So, you are going to kill me. I should have known…"

She turned to get away from him, but he grabbed her hand. "That is not what I meant, and you know it."

She looked at him, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Then what do you mean? Why are you doing this to me? Aren't I in enough misery as it is? My best friends have more important issues to deal with, every guy I've dated has either dumped me on my ass or tried to kill me, and my parents don't know what to do with me…"

Klaus took a step toward her. "I am not going to kill you, Caroline. If you're going to believe anything I say, believe that. I have no desire to kill you, and I likely never will. You're…" he shook his head, not understanding what he was about to say, himself. "Special. You're different from the other girls who I've met over the years. And with the hundreds of years I've been here, that means you have a lot of competition."

"What's so special about me? I'm just an insecure, pathetic excuse for a vampire…"

"Why are you so hard on yourself?" Klaus asked, not understanding it. "You're incredibly dedicated, and you care about people who don't deserve it. Not to mention you're possibly the most beautiful girl I've seen in centuries."

Caroline looked down. "You have no idea hw much I want to believe you…"

He moved closer and tilted her chin up. "Then why don't you?"

She looked down, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I can't. I can't believe you. Not after everything you've done."

"Caroline…" Klaus whispered her name. "If you want me to be honest with you… I will."

She looked up at him in confusion. "What…?"

"I need someone to care about. Someone who isn't my sister. Someone who will care about me, genuinely. I… I thought you could be that person. That may be why I keep saving you. That, and you have the terrible habit of stumbling into danger."

"Well, that's me. Miss Useless Danger Magnet Forbes."

"You are not useless." Klaus said, tilting her chin up again. "You're amazing. Don't you ever forget that, alright?"

Caroline looked up at him, her brow furrowed. "How do I know you aren't lying?"

A grin tugged at Klaus's lips. "Because if I was lying, I would have just compelled you to sleep with me by now."

She considered this, and then grinned. "Alright. I suppose I'll accept your compliments. On one condition."

"Oh? What's that?"

She offered her hand. "Walk me home and keep boosting my confidence?"

He laughed, taking her hand. "It would be my pleasure."

VvvvV

Damon pulled up to the Lockwood's manor and frowned. Carol's car was there, but Tyler's was nowhere in sight. Getting out of his car, he walked up to the front door and rang the bell. A few moments later, Carol answered. "Damon." She said, clearly confused. "Can I help you with something?"

"Actually, yes. Where's Tyler?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen him all day."

Damon frowned. "He hasn't called or told you where he might be?"

Carol shook her head. "No, he hasn't. Is everything alright…?"

Damon glanced around and then back to Carol. "Do you mind if I come in?"

Carol shook her head. "Not at all."

She gestured him inside and he entered, shutting the door behind him. "We have a problem, Carol. A big problem."

Her eyes widened. "A… _vampire _problem?"

"Nope." Damon said, peeking out the curtain at the driveway. "A hybrid problem."

"Hybrids? But Klaus promised to control them…"

"Well, this certain hybrid seems to even be out of Klaus' control."

"Well, who is it?"

Damon sighed and turned around to face her. "It's Tyler. He attacked Caroline Forbes twice completely unprovoked. It's shear luck and the help of a certain hybrid master that she's alive right now."

Carol took a step back in shock. "Tyler would never hurt Caroline…"

"That's what we all thought, too. It was an accident on her birthday… but he knew what he was doing the second time. He knew enough to make sure she had more than one fatal hybrid bite." He frowned. "He wanted her to suffer."

Carol gasped. "Tyler would never…!"

"He would and he did, Carol! And he has to be stopped. So, if you care about the people of this town at all, you'll help me find your son."

"Tyler can't hurt anyone but vampires, Damon. I'm not going to help you kill my son!"

Damon scoffed. "He can't hurt anyone but vampires? He worships at Klaus' alter! He does whatever he tells him to, and we have no idea what that could be. For all we know, he could be ordered to kill every single human in this town. Like it or not, Carol, Tyler is part vampire now; he would gladly rip into everyone necks if he was given the chance. So, I suggest you help me find him."

Carol shook her head. "He's my son, Damon. You can't kill him, and I certainly won't help you."

Damon glared, taking a step toward her, but stopping when his phone rang.

It was Elena.


	6. Deadly Reasons

"And what about you, Mr. Hybrid King? What makes _you _tick?" Caroline asked with a giggle as she and Klaus walked up the steps to her front door.

"Well, I've always had a bit of a thing for spunky blondes…" he said, and she laughed.

She sobered up after a moment, smiling at him. "Why are you being so nice to me? Surely there are hundreds of other girls who you could be with right now who are ten times the girl I am."

Klaus sighed, reaching over and tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "You, my dear, are far too insecure. There is no place I would rather be at this moment than right here with you."

She leaned into his hand. "I never would have imagined someone like you could be so… sweet."

Klaus grinned. "Well, I do pride myself on being a gentleman."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "A gentleman who kills people? That's a new one…"

Klaus laughed. "Goodnight, Caroline."

She smiled up at him. "Goodnight."

They stood there for a moment as they contemplated what they both should do next. Finally making the next move, Klaus leaned over a placed a soft kiss on her forehead and Caroline shut her eyes, unsure of what to expect next.

She gasped when what she felt next was her body coming in contact roughly with the side of her house when she was shoved back roughly. For a moment, she thought that Damon had been right, and that Klaus was going to kidnap her. But then her eyes widened when she saw what was going on in front of her.

Tyler was pinned to the ground by Klaus, snarling and snapping in attempt to break free and go after her.

"Caroline, get inside." Klaus said to her, not looking away from the ravenous Tyler.

"What's going on…?" Caroline gasped.

"Caroline, get in the house! If he gets away from me he's going to kill you!"

She stood quickly. "What if he hurts you?"

Klaus was quickly becoming exasperated by her lack of the ability to listen. "He can't! Now get in the bloody house!"

Only hesitating for another second, she quickly rushed into the house, locking the door and running up to her bedroom. She rushed over to her window and pulled to curtains aside, watching in horror as Tyler attempted to get away from Klaus.

She yanked her cell phone out of her pocket, noticing the numerous messages she had ignored from Elena before dialing her number.

"_Finally!_" Elena hissed on the other end once she answered. "_Why have you been dodging my…?_"

"Elena, Tyler is going to kill me."

Elena was silent for a second, before she shrieked "_What…!_"

"Calm down, okay? I was… I was with Klaus, and Tyler appeared out of nowhere and tried to attack me, and Klaus is outside fighting him off, but I don't know how long he can take him alone…"

"_Where are you?_" Elena gasped.

"I'm at home. Oh, Elena, they're on my front lawn fighting… he's going to hurt him…" Caroline whimpered.

"_Klaus is going to hurt Tyler?"_

"I don't care about Tyler! Didn't you hear me say he's trying to kill me again? I'm scared that Tyler is going to hurt Klaus!"

Elena was silent for a moment, before hissing, "_You're what…?"_

"Elena, you need to get Damon over here. Where is he?"

"I… I don't know. He went looking for Tyler… I'll call him. I'll call him, okay?"

"Hurry!" Caroline cried, hanging up quickly and shrieking when she saw Tyler bite viciously into Klaus' shoulder.

VvvvV

Elena stared at her phone in shock, still processing what Caroline had said. Tyler was trying to kill her. She had been with Klaus. _Tyler was trying to kill her! She had been with KLAUS? Tyler was trying to KILL her…!_

_ Call Damon, _her brain screamed. _Now!_

She promptly dialed his number, praying that he would pick up. It rang three times before he answered.

"_Elena, this had better be important…"_

"Caroline just called me. Tyler is over at her house trying to kill her, and Klaus of all people is fighting him off…"

_"What?" _Damon snapped. "_Why is Klaus over there, and why is he fighting off Tyler?"_

"I don't know! But you need to get over there."

She heard him sigh heavily. "_Fine. I'll head over there now."_

"Damon, wait." She said quickly before he could hang up.

"_What?_" he asked.

She heaved a shaky sigh. "Be careful. Please be careful."

He was silent for a moment before he answered her. "_I will._"

The dial tone buzzed in her ear, and Elena animatedly hung up. The only question left to be resolved was… what was _she _going to do?

VvvvV

Klaus snarled furiously at Tyler, yanking his teeth out of his shoulder and punching him roughly in the face. "Don't you _ever _do that again!" he yelled, and Tyler glared.

"You were kissing my girlfriend…!"

"Your girlfriend?" Klaus asked, anger boiling even more in his stomach. "Don't you mean the girl you nearly killed? The girl you bludgeoned like your own pitiful little chew toy? How can you even consider saying she's your girlfriend after what you did to her?"

"What you _ made _me do to her…!"

"I never told you to attack her a second time! That was all you, Tyler! Now, unless you want to die, I suggest you tell me _why!_"

Tyler glared, looking like he would enjoy nothing more than spitting in his face. "Because of _you! You _stole her from me! You did something to her the night you fed her your blood, and now she… she thinks that you _love _her, because she's stupid and naïve! She even wore your fucking bracelet!"

Klaus glared. "I did nothing to her. I didn't make her love me. The fact that she wore the bracelet I gave her was her own choice, so don't even think about telling me that that's the reason you're trying to _kill _the girl you're supposed to be in love with!"

Tyler struggled against him. "You have no idea what I put up with! Do you know why my temper is like this? Do you know why I beat people up? It's because it's what I was raised to think is right! It's because my stupid ass of a father always beat me and my mom if we did something he didn't like. He taught me that, in order to get people to respect and look up to you, you had to force them. If it still doesn't work, you have to drill it in harder. And, if all else fails…" he glared. "_You _taught me to _kill _them."

Klaus gaped at him. "You mean to tell me you're doing all of this because of what your father did? You know it was wrong, and you're still doing exactly that?"

Tyler glared harder. "Oh, because you and your dad were just BFFs."

Klaus glared. "You have no i…"

He gasped when he was taken by surprise and shoved off of Tyler. When he looked up from his spot on the ground, he saw Damon Salvatore perched in his spot, his eyes wild. "You've had this coming for a long time, Tyler. The first time you attacked her, I let it go, because it was an accident. The second time I didn't find out about until earlier tonight. I was considering going easy on you. But now, you went after Caroline a third time…?"

"What are you going to do?" Tyler hissed against Damon's strangle hold. "Kill me?"

Damon gave a vicious grin. "Yes, Tyler." He hissed. "That's _exactly _what I'm going to do. But, to your misfortune, I've decided to make it last."

He turned to Klaus. "I can't believe I'm saying this… go take care of Caroline. She doesn't need to see this."

Klaus frowned. "I don't take orders from you, _Damon…"_

"It isn't an order, _Klaus! _If you care about Caroline like you pretend to, or maybe you really do, you will go take care of her because it's the right thing to do, not because I told you to."

Klaus stood up. "Fine."

Damon watched him disappear into the house, and waited until Caroline had disappeared from her window before he turned back to Tyler. "Now," he said torturously. "Let's get things started, shall we?"

He pulled a fistful of wolfsbane leaves from his duffle bag and shoved them in Tyler's face with bone breaking force. Tyler yowled like a wounded animal which, in technical terms, he was and thrashed against Damon's grip.

"Do you like that, you miserable _dog? _How about you have some more…?"

He trailed off in confusion when a car sped up to the curb and pulled over. "Damon! Damon, stop!"

Damon's eyes widened in horror. "Elena…?"

He gasped when Tyler shoved him off during his momentary distraction. Before Damon could blink, Tyler was on his feet and lunging forward. The next second would scar him for the rest of his eternal life…

Tyler latched onto Elena and sank his fangs into her jugular vein, and her agonized scream echoed through the night.

"_Elena!_"


	7. Love After Death with author's note

Caroline watched nervously as Damon held Tyler to the ground. She knew what was coming; the only thing Damon was capable of doing when he was angry at someone. He was going to kill him.

"Caroline?"

She turned away from her window to see Klaus standing in her bedroom doorway. She glanced at his shoulder and noticed the blood where Tyler had bitten him. She rushed over to him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Just a nip. Harmless, really. Although, I don't think Damon can be considered harmless right now." He met her eyes. "He cares about you, you know. If you think he's only doing this for Elena, you're wrong."

She sighed, walking over to her bed and sitting on its edge. "Do you think he's… going to kill him?"

Klaus sighed and walked over, sitting beside her. "Most likely."

Caroline sniffed. "I know it's the right thing to do… but, even after everything he's done to me, I… I don't want him to die, Klaus!"

He wrapped an arm around her quivering shoulders. "I know, love. I know…"

He frowned in confusion. "Do you hear that?"

She sniffled. "Hear what…?"

"Damon! Damon, stop!"

"Elena?" Caroline gasped, and both she and Klaus jumped up and ran to the window again just in time to see Elena jump from her car. Tyler tossed a distracted Damon off and lunged for her. Caroline screamed in perfect time with Elena, and they both rushed down the stairs and outside.

VvvvV

"Elena!" Damon yelled, leaping up and, in a blur of movement, ripping Tyler off of Elena and throwing him with extreme force down the street. He quickly caught Elena as she crumpled. "No. No, no… shit!" he yelled, biting into his wrist and putting it to her mouth. "Drink, Elena… come on, drink it…"

The front door to the house burst open as Klaus and Caroline ran out. "Is she okay?" Caroline screamed, beside them in a flash.

"I can barely get her to drink… there's too much damage." Damon moaned, examining her torn neck.

"Oh, no…" Caroline whimpered.

"Elena, drink…." Damon pled, stroking her hair as she weakly drank his blood, her response quickly getting even weaker.

Caroline gasped in shock when she was suddenly thrown to the ground, Tyler snapping above her.

After a terrifying second, the snapping was cut short as Tyler's eyes widened and he grunted. Caroline looked up to see Klaus looming above them both, his hand lodged in Tyler's back. "Go to hell, Tyler." He hissed before giving a vicious yank. Tyler fell, dead, leaving his heart behind in Klaus's hand. Caroline gasped in horror as he landed on top of her. "Oh, my God…" she said breathlessly.

Klaus quickly yanked Tyler off of her, helping her stand up. Between Elena, now unconscious in Damon's grasp, and Tyler, dead on the ground, it was just all too much. She broke down, sobbing into his chest. To her surprise he wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair. "It's going to be alright, dove…" he whispered to her before looking over at Damon. "Elena needs to be taken to the hospital to have her throat repaired. She can't afford to lose more blood." He looked down at Caroline. "Go with Damon, alright? I'll take care of… Tyler."

Caroline sniffled and nodded. "O…okay…"

She walked over and helped Damon ease Elena into the back seat of her car, where Caroline sat with her.

Damon then rushed to the front and drove off.

Klaus stared down at Tyler, dead, at his feet. His first successful hybrid and he had been the one to kill him. The irony of the situation was a bit embarrassing, really…

VvvvV

"Damon, you need to sit down. You're wearing a rut in the floor; literally." Caroline said, glancing at the indent in the hospital waiting room floor from Damon's intense pacing, multiplied by his vampire strength. Caroline was hugging herself nervously. Elena had been taken into emergency surgery to repair the damage from her "animal attack". Damon was practically pulling his hair out with worry, and the guilt that he had let Tyler do this was eating him alive.

"Sit down?" Damon laughed harshly. "Caroline, if I sit down I'll probably throw my chair out the window. This is all my fault!"

"Damon, it's not your fault…"

"I let Tyler do this! I got distracted and let him go. He attacked Elena. It's my fault!"

Caroline frowned. "Well, he's dead, so there's nothing you can do about it."

Damon looked ready to strangle someone. "I could have done it. I could have killed him, and this never would have happened! I could have stopped it…!"

"Well, Elena was the one who distracted you! So, if you're going to blame someone, it should be her! And since you would never blame Elena, even for her own mistakes, you have absolutely no one to blame for this! So shut up and sit down!"

Damon looked momentarily dumb founded. Had he just been told off by… by… Blondie?

He was about to respond when the door to the waiting room opened and a nurse with long, dirty blond hair tied back in a bun walked in, holding a clip board close to her light blue scrubs. "Here for Miss Elena Gilbert?"

Caroline stood up as Damon rushed forward. "How is she? Is she going to be alright?"

The nurse frowned, looking around the waiting room. It was vacant other than the two of them, and an old woman with a little girl beside her. "Are there no legal guardians or family members here?"

Damon shook his head, wincing. "She… doesn't have anyone. Other than her brother, but he moved to Denver about a week ago."

The nurse frowned. "And how do the two of you know Miss Gilbert?"

"I'm one of her best friends." Caroline said.

"I'm her…" Damon sighed. "Friend."

The nurse bit her lip. "I'm afraid I can't let you two in if there is no blood relation. You'll just need to wait until visiting hours later today…"

Damon looked into her eyes. "You're going to let us in to see Elena. Tell her Damon and Caroline are here."

The nurse slowly nodded and led them into a hallway that buzzed with the sound of old lights, and she led them into a ward in which was dimmed while the patients in the surrounding rooms slept.

She walked to a room at the end of the ward and quietly opened the door. "Miss Gilbert?" she whispered and Elena weakly turned her head toward the door. "Yes…?"

"Damon and Caroline are here to see you."

She gestured them in and Damon rushed to Elena's bedside, examining her. He winced at the stitches running across her neck and he gently brushed them with the back of his hand. "I'm so sorry…" he whispered.

Caroline suddenly felt the burden Damon had been baring fall on her shoulders. If it was anyone's fault Elena was here right now, it was hers. If she hadn't worn that bracelet, Tyler never would have gotten mad. He wouldn't have gone crazy and tried to kill her, and Elena would never have tried to stop Damon from killing him…

It was like they said; if you play with fire, you get burned. Or bitten. Whichever applied in this case?

"Don't be sorry… it's not your fault…" Elena whispered hoarsely. Caroline was surprised she could talk at all, what with the severe damage Tyler had caused. It had to be the blood Damon had fed her before they arrived that was aiding in her recovery.

Damon knelt down and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. "Thank God you're alright…"

She gave him a small smile, and then turned to look at Caroline. "Hey. How are you?"

Caroline gave her a tiny smile in return. "I'm fine. Tyler won't be bothering any of us anymore."

Elena frowned in confusion. "What do you mean…?"

"Klaus killed him. He tried to attack Caroline again after you fainted."

Elena looked horrified. "No. Oh, no…"

Caroline bit her lip. "I'll… leave you two alone."

When neither replied, she turned and walked out of the room and back through the dark ward and into the hallway before reaching the waiting room. She found a nervous Alaric waiting there; she had called him on the way to the hospital. "She's going to be okay. Damon's with her."

Alaric nodded, seeming to calm a bit. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. No bites. I'm just… going to go home."

"Do you want a ride?"

Caroline shook her head. "I'll be okay. Stay and wait to see Elena."

Alaric looked like he wanted to argue further, but Caroline walked away before he had the chance.

She exited the hospital and walked into the cold, unwelcoming night. The bitterness of the air reminded her of the horrible event that had occurred a few hours prior. Tyler was dead. He had his heart ripped from his back. He was… dead. She jumped when her cellphone rang, and pulled it from her pocket. Her lip trembled when she recognized the number; Mrs. Lockwood. She had to be worried sick about her son… her son she would never find.

Caroline burst into tears, dropping her phone in horror. It was all her fault. All of this was her fault…

"Caroline?"

She gasped, jumping as her eyes flashed upward to meet those of Klaus, who looked worried and guilty at the same time.

"Oh, my gosh… you scared me." She said, sniffling and stooping down to retrieve her phone.

"I'm sorry… that wasn't my intention."

She straightened out, wiping her eyes on her white cashmere sweater. "Did you… take care of it? Tyler?"

Klaus looked sympathetic and he nodded. "Yes. It's been… taken care of. I needed to talk to you about that, actually."

She sniffled as they started to walk toward her car. "What about it? If it's taken care of…"

"But Mrs. Lockwood hasn't been taken care of. We can't just tell the poor woman that her son's heart was ripped out of his body…"

Caroline bit down on her wobbling lip. "Yeah, I… I thought about that, too. What do you need me for?"

"Well, you were close with Tyler… I thought you may want some say in what I do about all of this."

Caroline sniffled. "I think it would be best… if you just told her that Tyler ran off. She doesn't need to know… the gory details. After a few months, maybe she'll just assume… that he isn't coming back."

"Is that what you want me to tell her? Because things seem to… pop up when you least expect them in this town."

"Just do it. Please?" she whimpered as she shakily tried to find her keys in her purse. She retrieved them, and her shaking hands dropped them to the cool pavement. She bent down to pick them up, and jumped when Klaus got there first. Looking at him caused her to burst into uncontrollable sobs and she fell to her knees, her shoulders shaking violently.

Klaus' eyes widened in shock. "What? What's the matter?" he asked.

"It's my f-fault! It's my fault he's d-d-dead! If Mrs. Lockwood finds out, she'll h-h-hate me…!"

Klaus shook his head. "No. No, if she finds out, she'll hate me, not you. I killed him, not you."

She shook her head. "If I hadn't upset him in the first place…"

"Caroline, listen to me."

He grabbed her shoulders and she looked up at him.

"It is not your fault that Tyler… lost control over himself. He had a short enough temper as a human, and as a vampire it would be bad enough. But as a hybrid…? You can't blame yourself for what he got himself into. I tried to get him to leave the night he hurt you. But Tyler was… resistant."

Caroline started to sob again, and Klaus sighed, pulling her into his arms. "I'll take care of Mrs. Lockwood, alright? I'll tell her the truth if I have to. Don't worry… nothing bad is going to happen to you." He glared into the distance. He had no regrets in having killed Tyler. If anyone else threatened Caroline like he had, he wouldn't hesitate in killing them, no matter whom they were.

"No one is going to hurt you ever again."

(**I'm not entirely sure what I where I want to go with the story now that the Tyler problem is resolved... if you have any suggestions, message me!~Charlie'sLostVampire**)


	8. Eternally Asleep

_**Hey guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated, and I'm sorry this one is pretty short; I've been super busy with exams for the past week or so, and I haven't had much time to write. I did my best, though, and I promise to update more frequently as soon as exams are over! Feel free to review, and suggest ideas for future chapters! Thanks~ Charlie'sLostVampire**_

Once Caroline had calmed down, Klaus had driven her home. She had tried to assure him that she would be fine on her own, but he didn't believe her. Her ex-boyfriend had tried to kill her and her best friend, and then he had been killed right in front of her. There was absolutely no way that she was going to be fine. If Caroline was left alone, she would spend the night crying, or worse; she may do something foolish.

"You shouldn't be alone. You should call Bonnie, or your mother…"

Caroline shook her head. "If I call Bonnie, I'll have to tell her that Tyler is… dead. If I call my mom, she'll tell Mrs. Lockwood what happened… I don't have anyone I can call."

She looked up at him, looking like she was seriously hurting. "Would… would you stay with me? I know it's a lot to ask…"

Klaus was unsure of what to say. He knew that he was getting in this far deeper than he wanted to. It was technically his fault that Tyler and Caroline's relationship had fallen apart, let alone that Tyler was dead. How could she want _him _to stay with her?

"Caroline… I'm not certain if that's such a good idea. You just saw me kill Tyler."

A tear slipped down her cheek. "Which is exactly why I don't want to be alone. I think you're forgetting that the reason you had to kill him was because he was trying to kill _me. _Again!"

Klaus sighed. "You need to sleep, Caroline. You don't need me here to distract you."

Her lip quivered. "Will you at least stay until I fall asleep? Please?"

He couldn't understand it, but he decided, after what he had put her through, he owed her at least that much. "Alright. I'll stay until you fall asleep."

She heaved a relieved sigh. "Thank you."

VvvvV

Much to Klaus' surprise, Caroline fell asleep rather quickly. He decided to stay a while longer, though, in case she woke up again.

The phone downstairs ringing caused him to jump. Not wanted Caroline to wake up again, he rushed downstairs, intending to simply pick it up, and then hang up again. Whoever it was, Caroline could blame a "bad connection".

He stopped when he noticed the number on the caller ID. It was Carol Lockwood. No doubt she was becoming frantic. She hadn't seen her son in two days. What kind of a mother wouldn't be worried? He sighed and picked up the phone. "Carol."

"Caroline, have you… _Klaus?_"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing at the Forbes' house? Where's Caroline…? _Where is Tyler?_"

He sighed; Caroline had specifically _begged _him not to tell Carol that Tyler was dead. The only question was… was he going to keep his word? On one hand, Carol had the right to know now that her son was dead, rather than months later when his body is discovered by an unfortunate hiker. But, on the other, who knows who she may blame for her son's death if he told her the truth? She could blame Caroline. Heaven knows the last time she thought that Caroline was merely putting her son in danger she had called in Bill Forbes to exterminate his own daughter. If she thought Caroline had gotten him killed?

Klaus shuddered at the thought of just how much Carol may be capable of.

"Carol… we have a bit of a problem concerning your son."

"What? What kind of problem?"

"He's gone. Disappeared. I think it has something to do with him… not wanting to put Caroline in danger any further. I didn't want to stop him, because it only seemed fair that he have that right… after what I made him do to her."

"_It was you? You _made him bite her?"

"Carol, that isn't the problem currently at hand. You should know that I will do everything in my power to get your son back in Mystic Falls. I… need all the hybrids I can get, what with Stefan Salvatore frequently decapitating all of my more meaningless ones. But, you should know that it is highly unlikely that I should find him."

"But you're his sire! Don't you have some sort of connection? Can't you tell where he is?"

"Is that what Tyler told you?"

"Yes."

"Well, it's not true. Now, if we're finished, I have to go. I have… business to tend to."

"You still haven't told me why you're at the Forbes' house."

"I was checking on Caroline to make sure she was better. I didn't want to chance anything. Werewolf bites are one thing, but hybrid bites are a bit trickier. I was just heading out when I heard the phone ring."

"Why couldn't Caroline answer herself?"

"She's sleeping."

"She is, is she? Would you mind waking her and putting her on?"

"I have to go, Carol."

He then hung up the phone and, deciding it was in Caroline's best interest that he not stay any longer, he left.

VvvvV

It was silent in the hospital ward, other than the frequent beep of equipment. Damon had nodded off holding Elena's hand as he sat in the dingy old chair beside her bed. Exhausted from the nights events, he didn't notice that something was terribly wrong.

VvvvV

Caroline woke around six in the morning to the phone ringing downstairs. She put her pillow over her head, assuming it was her mother, calling to check in. When it didn't stop ringing, she groaned and got up, shuffling downstairs and answering it. "Hello?"

She listened for a moment before her eyes widened. "_What? _Damon, slow down… oh, my God! Oh, my… I'll be right over!"

Caroline slammed down the receiver, dashing upstairs to change. She needed to call about a thousand people and get to the hospital ASAP.

VvvvV

Deciding it would be all too easy to get a bit of blood from Elena while she was checked into the hospital, Klaus decided to swing by the next day. He grew very confused when he realized the waiting room was filled with people that she knew; Alaric Saltzman was trying to calm down what looked like a suicidal, deranged Damon, Jeremy Gilbert was sitting in one of the chairs, staring blankly ahead while Liz Forbes patted his shoulder, Carol Lockwood was talking to a nurse, demanding answers about something, and Bonnie was sobbing into the shoulder of "Caroline!"

She looked up from Bonnie, her own eyes with tears leaking down them. "I'll be right back, okay? Go talk to Jeremy." She said, and Bonnie nodded, walking over to Elena's little brother, tossing Klaus a murderous glance.

"What's going on? Why is everyone here…?" Klaus asked in confusion.

"It's Elena…" Caroline whimpered, wiping her eyes on her sweater.

"What about her? What's happened?"

Caroline choked back a sob.

"She's in a coma."


	9. Returning with a Vengence

_**Note: Just before anyone gets confused by certain events in this chapter, imagine that Elena never showed Klaus where Rebekah was, and that he's been searching for her, along with his coffins (which he still hasn't gotten back from Stefan). –Charlie'sLostVampire**_

Klaus was dumbfounded by the words Caroline had just said. Elena was in a coma. Elena Gilbert, his one and only way of making hybrids, was in a bloody coma.

"How in hell is she in a coma? She was fine…!"

Caroline sniffled and turned her head to look at Damon, who was sitting beside Alaric with his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking. "Damon thinks that she had a bad reaction… to his blood being mixed with some of the medication they were giving her…"

"Damn it…" Klaus hissed under his breath, quickly becoming furious. If Elena was in a coma, there was no way he could keep drawing her blood to make hybrids. Not without killing her in the process. If he couldn't make more hybrids, Stefan would just kill all of the ones he had already made, and he would be back at square one again. Desperate, and completely alone. "There has to be some way to revive her." Klaus suddenly said, looking up.

Caroline shook her head. "There isn't…"

"How do you know?" Klaus snapped, and Caroline frowned. "Well, I think if there was Damon wouldn't be sitting over there trying to keep himself from driving a stake through his heart!"

Klaus glared at the two men across the room. "That means nothing. Just because Damon is too pathetic to find the will to live…"

"Why are you even here?" Caroline suddenly hissed, anger bubbling inside of her. All he seemed to be doing was making things worse.

Klaus looked at her, suddenly unsure of what to say. He had come to attempt to steal some of Elena's blood under everyone's noses. But he couldn't tell her that… she would despise him more than ever before.

But, of course, his silence only seemed to cause Caroline to assume the worst. "Does this have something to do with your freaky hybrids? Is the only reason you came here was because you found out there was something wrong with _the doppelganger?_"

Klaus glared. He had been nothing but pleasant to this girl lately. He had saved her life more times than he had ever saved anyone else, and saving people was not something that Niklaus did! How does she repay him for that? By getting angry and assuming the worst from him when he said _nothing! _

"Oh, this is just rich." He hissed angrily. "I save your bloody life more than once, and you repay me by doing this? By automatically assuming that my being here has something to do with hybrids? Well, I suppose I should thank you, Caroline; thank you for reminding me that all I am is a soulless monster who only cares about himself. I really needed that." He turned on his heal and stormed away, leaving Caroline to stand, wide eyed, alone behind him.

VvvvV

Klaus threw open the door to his nearly finished mansion. The mahogany floors and eggshell walls were done; all that was left now was his numerous pieces of antique furniture that were currently covered in tarps to prevent any possible damage.

Needing to take out his aggression, he picked up a rather ugly vase and tossed it at the wall, breathing heavily.

"Well, what's got you in such a tizzy, oh mighty hybrid king?"

Klaus turned in a flash on his heal to see Stefan, lounging on one of the tarp covered sofas. "I'm not in the mood, Stefan; unless you want your head ripped off, I would get the hell out."

Stefan shrugged. "I think I'll take my chances."

"Well, that's your loss, then, isn't it? Because I believe I would severely enjoy ripping your limbs off at the moment…"

Klaus started forward, but Stefan held up a hand. "Ah, ah, ah; I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Oh, and why not? Causing you pain seems like a brilliant idea to me…"

"I wouldn't do that, because I come baring… a bit of a peace offering, I guess you could say."

Klaus froze in confusion. "What are you…?"

"Hello, Nik."

Klaus whirled again to see the last person he had expected to see standing in his house in the middle of the night. But, of course, he supposed nothing should surprise him when it came to Stefan. "Rebekah…?"

She smiled. "Did you miss me?"

"Where in hell have you been?" he hissed, storming up to her.

Rebekah cocked her head to the side. "Let's just say, Katerina Petrova isn't the only backstabbing doppelganger out there."

Klaus frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Pretty little miss Elena daggered me the night of the homecoming dance and they were keeping me locked up in their cellar. It was quite stupid of you not to look there, actually."

Klaus clenched his fists. "Why would Elena…?"

"They were trying to kill you, remember? Apparently I was going to get in the way."

Klaus turned to look at Stefan. "Why are you giving her to me? Why not just stuff her in a coffin and kidnap her like the rest of my family?"

Stefan shrugged. "Apparently, she has unfinished business with you."

Klaus frowned. "What are you talking about, Stefan?"

"I have a bit of a bone to pick with you, brother." Rebekah said from behind him, and Klaus gasped when he turned.

Within a second, Rebekah had stabbed a rather large injector into his shoulder blade which was full to the brim with a mixture of wolfsbane and vervain. Klaus grunted in shock. "Rebekah…?"

"She's on my side, Klaus. I wasn't the only person whose life you ruined."

Klaus looked at Rebekah in confusion and she glared, ripping out another injector and stabbing it into his other shoulder. "You killed out mother, Nik. You've been lying to me for over 500 years! Now, you're going to pay for it." She hissed, and Klaus blacked out, collapsing onto the floor.

Stefan stood up and walked over. "What are you going to do to him?" he asked curiously.

"Exactly what he did to me; I'm going to make him suffer the pain of knowing that someone you thought loved you killed the person you care most about in the world."

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Just who do you plan on killing? Klaus only cares about himself."

Rebekah smiled. "You undaggered me weeks ago, Stefan; I've been watching him. Believe me, there's someone my brother cares a great deal about who, if I'm correct, should be showing up here any moment. Now, be a dear and lock him up in the old Lockwood chambers, won't you?"

Stefan shrugged. "You know what you're doing more than I do…"

Rebekah passed him five more injectors. "If he wakes up, give him one of these. Keep him weak and unconcious until I get there."

Stefan nodded, taking the injectors, grabbing Klaus, and disappearing.

VvvvV

Caroline simply hadn't been able to handle being in that waiting room any longer. After hugging everyone, taking extra time to promise Jeremy that everything would be okay, and assure a now seemingly emotionless Damon that Elena was going to wake up, she had gotten in her car and began to drive toward another problem in her life; Klaus. She felt awful about what she had said to him at the hospital. He hadn't even said anything, and she had automatically assumed the worst from him. Sure, she was probably right in assuming what she had; heck, she knew she was right. But so was he. He had saved her life so many times when he didn't have to… she owed him a small amount of trust.

Right now, she needed to apologize to him. Pulling into the long driveway, she drove up to the huge new house and shut off her car, sitting there for a few moments. What was she going to say to him? "Hey, I'm sorry for assuming you were only at the hospital to make more hybrids. I mean, it's probably true, but I shouldn't have freaked at you like that."

That certainly wasn't the best apology in the world, but it would have to do. After all, what was she supposed to say to a homicidal hybrid leader who had killed or turned practically everyone she ever cared about?

Sighing she opened the car door and started up the cobblestone walk way, walking up the stone steps with their huge, white pillars and knocking on the white front door. Of course, no one answered. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she opened the door and walked inside. "Klaus?" she called, her voice echoing in the dark, eerie house. "Are you here? It's Caroline."

When no one responded, she decided to walk around a bit. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said back at the hospital… I should have trusted you more. I guess I just find it hard to trust you after everything bad that you've done…"

"Hello, Caroline."

Caroline gasped and whirled to find Rebekah, smiling happily with her hands behind her back. She looked like a child who had done something she knew was wrong, and gotten away with it. Caroline's eyes widened. "How are you…? You were daggered, in the basement…!"

Rebekah smiled and took a few steps forward. "Oh, I know… Stefan came to get me. It was somewhat like Sleeping Beauty, really, and he was my prince charming, come to wake me up from a slumber that a," she frowned, "Wicked little witch put me in."

Caroline walked backward as Rebekah continued to approach her. "What are you doing here?"

Rebekah giggled. "What a silly question to ask! I believe this is my new house, isn't it? Unless I have the wrong address…" she grinned. "But it can't be. Why would you be here, calling for my brother if it was the wrong house?" Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "On second thought… why are you calling for my brother in the first place?"

Caroline jumped when her back came in contact with a wall; she was cornered by a most likely vengeful Original. "I… we're friends."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Friends? Nik doesn't have friends, sweetheart. Only people he uses to get what he wants."

Caroline, not wanting to show her fear, stood straighter. "Where is he?"

Rebekah laughed. "Oh, he went on a little… trip with Stefan, and asked me to stay behind in case you stopped by."

Caroline gulped. "Is he going to kill Stefan?"

Rebekah laughed again. "Oh, sweetie… I think you should be more concerned about it going the other way around. You see… Nik is a bit… out of commission at the moment."

Caroline's nails scraped against the paint on the wall behind her. "What do you mean?"

Rebekah produced a small needle from her jeans pocket with a flourish, giving it a tiny squirt. "Don't worry, Caroline…"

Caroline shrieked when Rebekah was suddenly in front of her, stabbing the needle into her neck. "You'll find out soon enough."

With a terrified whimper, Caroline fell to the floor, blacking out. Rebekah smiled and walked across the room, smiling at someone standing in the shadows. "If she wakes up, use one of these. I have something else I need to take care of before I finish up here." She said, passing the person a few vervain needles. They nodded, and Rebekah smiled, dashing out the front door in a blur.


	10. Traitors

"Damon, you should go home. Get yourself cleaned up. You look horrible."

Damon looked up at Alaric, frowning. "I'm not leaving her."

They were in Elena's hospital room, and Damon was sitting in the chair beside her bed, clutching her limp hand. Alaric was right; he did look horrible. His hair was a mess from him practically ripping it out when he discovered the news, and his face with streaked with tear stains from when he had been alone with Elena and had let them shamelessly fall. Not to mention, he looked exhausted. It took a lot to drain a vampire, and nearly losing the one you love was one of the few ways to do so.

Alaric sighed. "You aren't doing her any good sitting here. She would want you to go home and get some rest. I'll stay until you get back."

Damon frowned; he knew Alaric was right. If Elena was awake she would be pushing him out the door, telling him not to bother coming back until he had taken care of himself. Giving Elena's hand a squeeze, he released it and stood up. "You'll stay? Until I get back?"

Alaric nodded. Damon sounded so broken and unlike himself. He hated seeing his friend that way. "I'll stay."

Damon softly stroked Elena's pale cheek. "I'll be back, okay?" he whispered to her, even though he knew she couldn't hear. Biting down on his lip, he quickly walked out of the room.

VvvvV

Damon had only been gone a few hours when Meredith Fell walked into the hospital room, looking shocked. "I just heard about Elena when I came in for my shift; how did it happen?"

"The coma?"

Meredith shook her head. "How did she get hospitalized in the first place?"

Alaric sighed. "Tyler Lockwood attacked her; he nearly ripped her throat out. It's a miracle she lived long enough to get her here."

Meredith raised an eyebrow. "A miracle, or," she lowered her voice, "Vampire blood?"

Alaric had his face in his hands. "More so a miracle than vampire blood… she was already too far gone when Damon tried to feed his to her… he thinks his blood mixing with the medication they put her on during surgery is what put her in a coma. He blames himself, Meredith. I've never seen him such a mess."

Meredith glanced at Elena. "I might be able to do something."

Alaric frowned in confusion. "_What…?_"

"Come with me."

He glanced at Elena. "I can't. I promised Damon I would stay until he came back."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "It's Damon Salvatore we're talking about; he's probably passed out on the couch, wasted by now. He won't even know you left."

Alaric still looked hesitant. "I really shouldn't…"

Meredith sighed. "Look at it this way; if what I have planned works, and Elena wakes up, he'll be thanking me for making you come with me."

Alaric frowned. "What do you need me for?"

"Just come. Please?"

He didn't move.

"Alaric; trust me. This is in Elena's best interest."

Alaric's frown deepened. "You expect me to trust you? You vervained Damon and stole his blood! Who knows what else you've done? You honestly expect me to _trust you with Elena's life…?_"

Meredith frowned. "I'm not asking you to trust me as a friend; I'm asking you to trust me as a doctor."

"Yeah; as a doctor who gives her patients vampire blood…"

"To save their lives! Alaric, do you want to save Elena or not?"

"Look; I consider myself her guardian. She has nobody. I'm not just going to let someone test a… a _theory _on her!"

Meredith frowned. "She's eighteen, Alaric; she doesn't need a guardian anymore. What do you think she would do if she was awake?"

Alaric stood up. "She wouldn't trust you with her life, that's for damn sure!"

Meredith sighed. "I didn't want it to come to this, Ric…"

He frowned. "Come to what…?"

His words trailed off into a grunt of shock when she tossed something at him with startling precision; a tranquilizer dart. He fell to his knees, eying her in confusion. "Why are you doing this…?"

"Because, Ric," she said, kneeling down beside him. "It's what it takes to kill Klaus."

"Klaus…?" he muttered, before his eyes started to droop. A moment later, he passed out on the floor.

"Put him somewhere secure."

Meredith sighed. "Are you sure this is going to work? I don't like the idea of innocent people getting hurt, Rebekah."

She sighed. "Innocent people already have been hurt. In the end, it all winds down to that one same person, doesn't it?"

Meredith sighed. "You're right."

"I know… so you understand?"

Biting her lip, Meredith nodded. "I understand."

"Good."

Rebekah walked over to the machine that was hooked up to Elena. "Tell me; how do I turn this thing off?"

VvvvV

Klaus moaned, weakly forcing his eyes open.

"I see you finally decided to wake up, Sleeping Beauty."

Klaus shifted his eyes upward and frowned. "Stefan…"

Stefan was sitting in a rickety old wooden chair, chipping away at a piece of wood. "You know, I'm supposed to shoot you up with another of those injectors your sister gave me."

Klaus glared. "Then why… aren't you…?"

"Because, Klaus," Stefan glared, "I want some answers."

Klaus grunted as he tried to push himself into a sitting position. "Answers about what…?"

He gasped when Stefan shoved him back down, stabbing the piece of wood into his stomach. "What do you think I want answers about?" he roared.

Klaus heaved furiously. "If you want to know what's in the other coffin, I'll take it to my grave...!" he hissed, and Stefan yanked the wood out.

"Well, Klaus, that's unfortunate; because, from what Rebekah said, you're grave won't be the only one being dug tonight."

Klaus frowned. "Who…?"

Stefan shrugged. "I dunno. I guess we'll just have to find out."

He pulled an injector from his pocket and jabbed it into Klaus' neck. Klaus groaned miserably before passing out again.

VvvvV

Back at the manor, Caroline was slowly coming to, as well. She whimpered pitifully. "Hello…?" she rasped, looking around her. She was still lying in the exact spot she had fallen when Rebekah injected her with vervain. "Is anyone there?" she called again.

She jumped when the front door opened and Rebekah flounced back in. She frowned when she saw Caroline was conscious. "I thought I told you to keep her out!"

There was shuffling in the shadows. "I know. She just woke up…"

Rebekah flew forward. "Give me the vervain; I'll do it myself."

She grabbed another needle from the person and walked toward Caroline, testing the it. "This will all be over soon, Caroline." Rebekah smiled sweetly. "I promise."

Just before Rebekah injected her again, the mystery person stepped out from the shadows. Caroline drew in a sharp, shocked breath and fought back tears of betrayal. "_Matt?_"

That was the last thing she squeaked out before Rebekah vervained her again, and everything went black again.

_**Just a quick note: I'm not going to be able to update for a few days, for medical reasons. I'm going to be in the hospital for a few days, but I promise to update as soon as I can. Much love, and reviews are appreciated!~Charlie'sLostVampire **_


	11. Love is a Hybrid's Greatest Weakness

Hours later, Klaus woke again. This time, he was surprised to find himself behind bars. He also discovered that Stefan was gone. His joints stiff, he pushed himself up slightly so he could look around. Soft whimpering soon caught his attention.

"Help… please help…"

Klaus looked around on the other side of the bars, and his eyes widened when he saw a small figure lying on the floor a few feet away, her blonde hair pooling behind her. "Caroline!" he croaked.

"Klaus?" she whimpered, her voice cracking. Obviously she was in pain.

Klaus growled and pulled himself closer to the bars. "Who did this to you?"

Caroline made another pitiful sound. "It was…"

"Me, of course."

Klaus looked up to see his sister sauntering down the stone stairs and toward him with Stefan behind her. He seemed a bit shocked when he saw Caroline lying on the floor. "_Her?_"

"Yes, her; my brother seems to have developed some kind of strange obsession with her."

Rebekah crouched down beside Caroline's small figure.

"Rebekah, I swear, if you harm one hair on her head…"

"You'll what, Nik? The last time I checked, you were out of commission and behind bars. So there is absolutely nothing you can do if I were to, say, do this…"

Rebekah reached over and snapped Caroline's arm backward at the elbow, and she screamed in agony.

Klaus, having regained enough strength to stand, flew forward and slammed against the bars, his eyes wild. "Don't touch her!"

Rebekah grinned as Caroline sobbed. Stefan stood miserably in the shadows, watching. "Poor, poor Nik… it's rather unpleasant to have someone you love be hurt by someone you thought cared about you, isn't it?"

With that said, she ran her sharp nails along Caroline's cheek, causing her to scream even more.

"Rebekah _stop it!_" Klaus snarled, clutching the bars with meek strength.

She giggled. "Stefan, would you go upstairs and bring me down my supplies?"

He started walking toward the exit, and she frowned. "Hurry."

He sighed heavily and disappeared with vampire speed, returning with a duffle bag and dropping it beside her. Rebekah smiled. "Thank you, love."

She grinned at Klaus as she pulled back the zipper. "Just a few things I swiped from Alaric Saltzman's flat." She pulled out torturous items such as vervain soaked steaks, bullets, and other sharp, metal knives and needles. Klaus' eyes widened in horror and he clutched the bars more tightly. "Rebekah, don't do this. She never did anything to you!"

"Neither did our mother, you bastard!" Rebekah shrieked, stabbing one of the steaks into Caroline's leg and leaving it there. Caroline screamed an awful sob. "She-did-nothing-to-you!" Rebekah yelled, shoving wooden bullets in Caroline's arms, legs and stomach with every word. "And you _killed _her!"

Rebekah grabbed one of the knives and stabbed it into Caroline's shoulder, and Caroline sobbed. Rebekah was sneering. "This is for our mother," she hissed, pulling out a jagged stake and poising it above Caroline's quivering chest.

"She's not dead!" Klaus yelled desperately, and Rebekah froze.

She stood up and was in front of the bars instantly. "What did you say?"

"Our mother; she's not dead. I didn't kill her. I just said that I did…"

"You lying bastard." Rebekah spat, stabbing the stake into his stomach.

Klaus grunted, falling to his knees. "It's… the truth…! She's in the other coffin…!"

Rebekah's lip quivered. "Why would you lie? Why would you lie about something like that…?"

"Because it was the only way to keep you all safe… from Mikael… you would have never come if you had known…"

Rebekah ripped the bars open and flew into the cell, pinning her brother to the wall. "Where's the coffin?"

Klaus looked at Stefan. "Ask _him._ If I'm lying, you can kill me."

"Oh, I won't just kill you, Nik. I will torture everyone in this town and make you watch, and then I'll make you live with that for centuries, and only when I get tired of your moaning will I kill you."

With that, she threw him down and walked out of the cell. "Show me the coffins, Stefan."

Stefan tossed a glance at Caroline, who was trembling and sobbing on the floor, before leading Rebekah out.

Klaus ran to Caroline's side as soon as they were gone. "Oh, God…" he moaned, quickly pulling the stake from her leg. She gasped in pain.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry… I had no idea this would happen…" he moaned, caressing her cheek and bending down, kissing her forehead.

"Get them out… get the bullets out…" she moaned, her face a horrible grimace.

Klaus nodded and quickly stripped off her bloody clothes, wincing at the bloody holes Rebekah had put in her. He gently scooped her up and moved her into his lap, starting with the bullets in her arms, removing the bullets as gently and quickly as possible, placing a soft kiss to each spot once it was gone. When the last bullet was out, Caroline heaved a shaky sigh, still clearly in pain, but seemingly less so.

"Thank you…" she whispered.

"No, don't you dare thank me. This is all my fault." He said in a clipped tone.

"No…" Caroline shook her head, her voice weak. "You didn't do this to me. She did…"

"But she did it because of me. She did it because I…" he bit back his next few words, unsure of whether it was a good idea or not to say them.

"Because you what?" Caroline whispered.

_Love is a vampire's greatest weakness, _he recalled saying so many times before. Never had he dreamed that it would ever become his. He couldn't afford to be weak. If he was weak, they would kill him. People from all over would gather to watch him be killed. The worst part was, he would likely let those stupid Salvatore's kill him, all because it would be in Caroline's best interest.

Love had become Klaus' greatest weakness. He heaved a shaky sigh and laid his head on her shoulder. "She did it because I love you."

Caroline gasped in a tiny, shocked breath. "You… love me…?"

He kissed her shoulder, giving a small chuckle. "Very much so…"

A small smile pulled at Caroline's lips. "I…I love you, too…"

Klaus looked at her in surprise. "What did you just say?"

She blinked a few times. "I love you."

Both stared at each other, shocked by what the other had just confessed. Seconds later, Klaus had taken Caroline's lips in his passionately, holding her close to him. Caroline whimpered and kissed him back just as hungrily, ignoring the pain that was still prominent from Rebekah's torturing; the pleasant warm feeling that was overcoming her was much stronger.

"Klaus…" she whimpered when he pulled away to place kisses on every other spot on her body he had access to.

"I'm going to take care of you, sweetheart." He whispered as he kissed her.

She gasped in surprise when he suddenly scooped her into his arms, standing up.

"I promise."

He then whisked her out of that horrible place, leaving the scent of blood and vervain behind.

_** In my opinion, this is the best chapter yet in the story; I hope you all loved it as much as I did! Remember to review!- Charlie'sLostVampire**_


	12. What Happened in the Hospital, Damon?

Caroline groggily opened her eyes, and they fluttered against the bright afternoon sunlight. She frowned in confusion, glancing around the room that she was in; she was lying in a large king sized bed with thick fleece and cotton, cream colored sheets. The room itself was large, with yellow painted walls and white finishing. There was a crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the room. Caroline sat up in bed, her joints surprisingly stiff. She had just been wondering why she ached so much when the memories of last night's events began to return to her in bits and pieces. Rebekah had vervained her; numerous times. She could remember… yes, Matt had been there. He must have been compelled by Rebekah to make sure she didn't escape… and then they had been in Tyler's family's old underground cells… and Rebekah had tortured her… then Klaus had saved her…

Caroline fell back into the pillows, a smile finding its way onto her lips; one good thing had come of last night's disastrous events. Klaus had told her that he loved her, and then they had kissed.

But that was all she remembered. She looked up, a bit startled when the white door opened and Klaus walked it, a tall wine glass in hand. Caroline felt her urges take over as soon as she saw the glass; blood. It was filled to the brim with thick, heady blood… blood which she needed now more than ever.

He walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed, "You're awake."

She nodded, "I am."

He passed her the glass and she took it quickly, greedily downing its contents, not even caring when some of it dribbled onto her cheek and down to her chin. Klaus grinned when she passed him the empty glass, and he reached over with his finger, wiping the blood from her face tenderly and putting his finger in his mouth, licking off the blood. Caroline blinked a few times, startled by the caring gesture, and was even more pleasantly surprised when he moved closer and kissed her softly. Caroline kissed him back, and frowned when it was over all too soon.

"How are you feeling?" Klaus asked nervously, inspecting her arms. They seemed completely healed where the bullets had been pushed in. Evidently, the soreness she was feeling was the aftereffects of a vervain overdose.

"Alright. A bit stiff, but I'll… well, I won't live, but you get what I mean."

Klaus chuckled softly, then his expression grew serious, "Caroline, I am so sorry that this happened to you… but, I swear to you, no one will hurt you again. Not because of me."

Caroline gave him a small smile, "I believe you." She glanced around the room before he eyes landed on him again, "Where am I?"

He grinned, "Do you like it? The painters just finished a few days ago…"

"Ah," Caroline nodded, understanding, "We're in your house."

"You guessed it," he said, smiling.

Caroline leaned against the shiny mahogany headboard, deciding they needed to discuss last night's events. Not Rebekah, but their confessions to each other; the fact that they loved each other. "Klaus…"

Her words trailed off when her cellphone rang across the room. She frowned in confusion, "What time is it?"

"Just after noon… here, I'll get it for you."

"Thanks."

Klaus stood up and walked across the room, picking up Caroline's buzzing cellphone from the white painted dresser. He frowned, "Its Damon."

Caroline sat up straighter, "It could be about Elena. Answer it!"

Klaus pressed accept and put the phone to his ear, "Caroline's phone."

_*flashback*_

Damon sighed rolled over in bed, groping for his buzzing cellphone. He finally grabbed it off of his bedside table and glanced at the number on the screen; Alaric. He hit accept and brought it to his ear. "Ric? Is everything okay?"

"_Put him somewhere secure._"

Damon frowned at the voice on the other side. Wasn't that…?

"_Are you sure this is going to work? I don't like the idea of innocent people getting hurt, Rebekah._"

"Rebekah…?" Damon muttered in confusion; where the hell was Ric?

"_Innocent people already have been hurt. In the end, it all winds down to that one same person, doesn't it?_"

"_You're right_."

He sat up in his bed, listening intently.

"_I know… so you understand?_"

"_I understand_."

"_Good._"

Damon had a feeling that this phone call had nothing good about it; Alaric had been in the hospital, watching Elena while he went home and slept… which meant that something was horribly wrong there. With Alaric, and possible with Elena. If Rebekah and, who sounded like Meredith Fell, were in there…

"_Tell me; how do I turn this thing off?_"

Damon's grip tightened on the phone in horror; turn… turn what off…?

"_Rebekah… I could just inject her with something. Turning off her machine would be horrible; her body will start to shut down within the hour…_"

Damon's phone was tossed down and he was dressed in seconds, running with vampiric speed out the door and for the hospital.

VvvvV

"I don't care if it's horrible! She needs to die, and I don't have the time for you to go find some kind of chemical poison to inject her with! Turning off the machine is the easiest way," Rebekah advanced on Meredith, "Do it."

Grimacing with guilt, Meredith started toward the machine and began flipping switches. Seconds later, she screamed in agony when fangs were suddenly ripping into her throat. Mere instants later, she was tossed to the floor in immobile agony.

Damon Salvatore loomed above her, his face smeared with her blood, fangs bared and his eyes vamped out. He looked ready to kill her.

He whirled on Rebekah, and she glared, "This isn't over, Damon. I _will _get her."

"Over my dead body," Damon spat, advancing on her.

Rebekah grinned, "That can be arranged all to easily."

With that said, she disappeared. Damon quickly turned and rushed over to Elena, his face returning to normal at the sight of her, her cheek pressed into her pillow, her long lashes leaving shadows on her cheeks. He crouched beside her and took her wrist in his hand, breathing a sigh of relief when he found her pulse fluttering beneath the skin. His eyes glared down at Meredith, who was shakily getting to her feet with a hand clapped over her neck. "What did you do to her?"

Meredith shook his head, "Nothing; you attacked me before I could shut anything off."

"Then what were you doing when I got in here?"

"All I did was put the machine on standby. She'll be fine; for now. Rebekah wants her dead, Damon. If she wants her dead, she's as good as dead. Let it be a humane was like this and not something more brutal if and when she gets out of the hospital."

Damon glared at her, snarling, and turned back to Elena, "She's not going to die. There is no way in hell I'm letting her die."

"She's in a coma, Damon! She's practically dead already!"

"Get the hell out. _Now._"

"Fine, but…"

"_And where the hell is Alaric?_"

Meredith paused, "What are you talking about?"

"He was here, watching her for me. He called me and I heard your little _conversation _with Rebekah. _Where is he?_"

"Nuh uh," Meredith glared, shaking her head, "You saved Elena; you'll just have to wait to save Alaric."

Damon was tempted to follow after her, but was too terrified to leave Elena's side. He looked back down at her and quickly wiped the blood from his face before clutching her cold hand in his again. "I'm sorry," he moaned, "I'm not going to leave ever again. Never again…"

_*end flashback*_

"_Your sister attacked Elena. She and Meredith Fell tried to kill her last night! I thought she was in a damn coffin…!_"

Klaus swore under his breath, "I should have known she would do something like this… Stefan let her out. They attacked me and Caroline last night, as well. How is Elena now?"

"_She's fine; for now. But I have a feeling your damn sister is going to be back to finish the job and, if she does, someone is going to end up dead._"

Klaus sighed, "Look. I have to take care of Caroline right now… but stay with Elena, alright? I'll be over as soon as I can."

"_No, you won't! That's my point! I don't want you, or any of you damn family anywhere near Elena! Caroline can do whatever the hell she wants with you, but you will not touch Elena; if you do, I will find the damn coffins myself and throw the lifeless daggered corpses of your family into the ocean. Stay. Away. From. Elena._"

With that, the line went dead, leaving Klaus standing, dumb founded, with his back to Caroline. Across the room, Caroline gulped, "Rebekah went after Elena, too."

"Yes, she did."

"He didn't sound happy."

"No, he didn't."

"What are you going to do?"

Klaus turned and shook his head, "I have no bloody idea."

_**Sorry about the lack of Klaroline in this chapter; I needed to clear up what happened in the hospital with Rebekah, Meredith, and Elena before she went to "deal" with Klaus and Caroline. There will be more in the next chapter, I promise!-Charlie'sLostVampire**_


	13. Friendship is a Powerful Tool

_** This is a bit of a diverse chapter, with a little something for everyone. Obviously there's Klaroline, but I also threw in some Stebekah, a bit of Klaus envying Damon (for his relationship with Caroline), some Caroline and Damon friendship, and, of course, who doesn't love the messed up, angsty bromance with Klaus and Damon? Like I said; something for everyone! I won't give anything away, but this chapter is also going to bring in a little something that will make a certain fanbase very happy… Enjoy, and remember to review, my lovelies!- Charlie'sLostVampire**_

__Rebekah wrinkled her nose in disgust as Stefan led her down into the basement of the dusty old witchhouse. "This place is disgusting," she sneered, "I can't believe you've honestly been keeping my family in here."

"Well, at least they're all in coffins and not lying in a cell on a dingy basement floor," Stefan said without emotion as they finished descending the stairs. Rebekah frowned at the empty room before them, "Well? Where are they?"

Stefan gestured to the empty air, "They're right in front of you."

Rebekah whirled on him, infuriated, "Was this all some kind of distraction? So my _brother _and that bimbo could escape…?"

"Show me the coffins," Stefan called over her ranting, and Rebekah trailed off, frowning, "What…?"

"Turn around."

She whirled again, and her eyes widened when she found herself looking at four shiny mahogany coffins. "Oh, my God…" she breathed, a grin slowly forming on her lips as she rushed forward and ran her hand down on of them, testing to see if it was really there. She beamed at Stefan, "You've been hiding them down here from Nik this entire time?"

Stefan nodded, grinning proudly, "With a little help from a whole lotta witches; it's been all too easy."

Rebekah tossed open the coffin she was standing by, and laughed gleefully, "It's really them!"

She proceeded to toss open two of the coffins containing her other brothers, growing more gleeful each moment. She frowned in confusion when she couldn't get the last one open, though. She proceeded to tug, growing angrier by the second, and "It won't open!"

"Yeah… we're working on that."

She frowned at him, "Working on what?"

"Well, it's spelled shut. Now that we know what's in there… I can understand why. I mean, it's not like he could just dagger the Original Witch, could he?"

Rebekah started to shake, "He knew. He knew I wouldn't be able to get it open! It _was _a distraction!"

Stefan shook his head, "Just calm down, Beks. We'll get it open. I have a witch on it as we speak."

Rebekah snorted unfaithfully, "Please tell me you don't mean the pathetic little Bennett witch. She couldn't open a jar of jam with magic, let alone a spelled coffin! No… we need someone else. Someone more powerful…"

Stefan held his hands up, "Hey, I'm open to suggestions. If you know a better witch, please feel free to enlighten me."

Rebekah grinned, "Oh, I do. But we're going to need to go to New York to find her." She glanced at her brothers, lying in coffins, daggered. "But first…" she said, sauntering over. She proceeded to pull the dagger from Kol's chest, tossing it to the floor. She then removed Finn and Elijah's, grinning, "I think we should let them have their vengeance with Niklaus, as well. After all…" she grinned at Stefan, "They've been waiting much longer than I have."

In his coffin, Elijah's finger twitched.

VvvvV

Klaus sat in his newly furbished living room on the sofa, sipping gin while Caroline lounged on the couch, her head in his lap, flipping through channels on the flat screen as the sunlight filtered through the sheer white curtains. "Any ideas yet?" she asked him, continuing to flick.

He sighed heavily, "Nope," and took another drink.

Caroline looked up at him, "You do realize you're going to have to talk to Damon, right?"

He laughed, genuinely amused, "Are you crazy? You must be joking!"

Caroline frowned and shook her head, "No, I'm not. He's upset, and has every right to be. _I'm _upset; Rebekah tried to kill my best friend!"

Klaus ran his fingers through her blonde tresses, "How am I supposed to have a civil conversation with a man who wants me dead? He said if I…"

"_If you went near Elena, _he would throw your family in an ocean; I got that. But you aren't going to go near Elena; you're just going to go talk to him."

"That's a bit difficult to do when he won't leave her side."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "So, I'll tell him I'll stay with her. I can fend for myself more than Alaric Saltzman can."

"He isn't going to leave her again, Caroline."

"Yes, he will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because Damon trusts me."

Klaus frowned as he felt jealousy seep into his stomach at her words, reminding him of something she had said when he found her, drunk, the night Tyler attacked her, "_The last time I was bitten this much was when I was human and sleeping with Damon._" Damon and Caroline had obviously had a rocky start… but seemed to be friends now. _Close friends. _He _trusts _her.

Caroline frowned when Klaus, who was staring at the TV seeming a bit annoyed, tightened his grip on her arm a bit possessively, "Is everything okay?" she glanced at the TV and giggled, "Is _LOST _really that upsetting?"

"What?" Klaus asked her in confusion, and Caroline shut off the TV, which was playing a rerun of one of her old favorites, "Nothing. I was just wondering if something was wrong."

"Why do you ask?"

Caroline glanced at his hand, clutching her arm, and he followed her gaze. He bit her lip and let go, "Sorry… no, everything is fine. I just… I don't think Damon is going to leave."

"Well, there's no harm in trying, is there?"

Klaus couldn't help but smile; _she was just so bloody optimistic. Like nothing could ever go wrong, despite that fact that she had been nearly murdered by her ex-boyfriend numerous times, and then tortured by his sister the night before. No, all was well in the mind of Caroline Forbes, and he loved her for it. _

He grinned and pressed a kiss to her forehead, causing her to giggle. "You're such an optimist, dove," he said, and she looked up at him in confusion. "Dove? Since when did I resemble a white bird?"

Klaus chuckled, "It's just a bit of an analogy I made the night I found you… don't worry your pretty little head about it."

Caroline frowned, "What kind of analogy?"

"Oh, don't worry; it was a good one, I promise."

Caroline grinned, "Okay."

He sighed, "Do you really want me to talk to him?"

She nodded, "I just think we may stand a better chance against Rebekah if we have him on our side, not against us."

He shook his head, "He's not against _us, _love, he's against _me. _Just like he's always been. Come to think of it, he never really was on _our side. _The man still wants me dead for what I did to Elena! What makes you think he'll want to be on _our side _against my sister?"

"That's obvious," she smiled, "He'll do it for love."

Klaus frowned in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I know Damon, Klaus; he'll join whatever side is hell bent on protecting Elena. Right now, that's our side. Knowing him, he'll put whatever differences you may have aside until this all blows over."

"Then he'll go right back to hating my guts and wanting me dead."

"Most likely."

Klaus sighed, "Fine, I'll try it. But don't come crying to me if he doesn't want to leave…"

"Oh, he will," Caroline insisted.

Klaus raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

Caroline grinned, "Because he's Damon; if I know him at all, he'll be craving a nice stiff drink of bourbon by now."

VvvvV

Damon was rubbing his forehead in exhaustion when the knock sounded at the door. He looked up to find Caroline standing in the doorway, smiling cautiously at him. "Hey," she said, "Can I come in?"

Damon gestured her into the room, "Knock yourself out, Barbie."

Caroline walked into the room, glancing a bit mournfully at her usually so vibrant best friend; she was still unconscious, the only sound proving she was alive being her shallow breathing and the beeping of the machine she was hooked up to. Caroline shuddered at the thought of Rebekah having tried to make Meredith turn it off. "How is she?"

Damon shook his head, his eyelids heavy, "The same. No change."

Caroline bit her lip, "You look exhausted."

Damon had his face in one hand, massaging his temples; the other was still fiercely clutching Elena's hand. "That's because I am exhausted."

"So go."

Damon looked up at her like she had just stripped off her clothes and started singing "Hit Me Baby One More Time". "Are you crazy? I'm not leaving her. Not again. Never again."

Caroline sighed, "I'll stay with her, Damon. I haven't seen her in days, and you need your rest…"

"That's exactly what Alaric told me, Caroline! To _go home _and that _everything would be fine. _Well I did, and it wasn't. She almost _died! _And why does everyone keep saying I need rest? I'm a damn vampire! I could go months without sleeping and still be fine…!"

"But you aren't fine, and, like it or not, you do need rest. All you've done is sit in that chair, and stare at her for days. It's not healthy, Damon!"

"I'm already dead. I don't need to be healthy."

Caroline was beginning to think Klaus was right, and that Damon really wasn't going to leave. She sighed, "Damon… look. From where I'm standing, it doesn't look like she's going to miraculously wake up any time soon. Just… I don't know; go to the Grill or something for an hour or so. I'll stay. I'm a vampire, too; I can protect her just as easily as you can."

Damon shook his head, "You can't, Caroline. If you want to help, go find Alaric and make sure he's okay. Once you do, kill him."

Caroline squealed in exasperation, "Damon, get out! Or I swear to God, I will go to your house and dump out every bottle of alcohol you own, rip up all of your John Varvatos shirts, and trash your room!"

Damon shook his head, "I don't care."

"Yes, you do! Do you want to know what else? Elena told me that she thinks that one particular Varvatos t-shirt is immensely sexy on you. Yeah, she admitted it! How would you like it if I went to your house and destroyed the one thing you own that outright turns her on?"

"You know what? If it turns her on so much, bring it to me. Maybe it would wake her up."

Caroline could hear the pain in his voice, even as he was trying to be sarcastic. She knelt down beside him, touching his arm. "I'll take care of her, Damon. I've done it before; when she broke her arm in seventh grade gymnastics class and her mom had to step out of the hospital on business, they called me to come and sit with Elena. Grayson and Miranda would want me to do this, Damon."

He looked at her to find her blue eyes pleading. "Please," she said, using her last desperate measure; the parent card.

Damon glanced at Elena for a long moment before sighing and standing up. "Fine. If it means so much to you… I'll go. For _half an hour. _But that's it."

Caroline smiled at him and took his seat, "Good…"

"That should be enough time to execute the plan you obviously need me out of her to perform, shouldn't it?"

Caroline's eyes widened, "What…?"

He gave her a small grin, "You're a terrible motivator, and an ever worse liar. But I'll go if this plan is so important that you just have to see it through…"

If Caroline were human, she would have been blushing, "Thank you, Damon."

"Yeah, whatever…"

He walked out of the hospital and, as Caroline had suggested earlier, headed straight for the Grill.

He needed a drink.

VvvvV

Klaus noticed him walk in right away, and waited for him to sit at the bar and order something stiff. He then stood up from his booth in one of the darker corners and walked up to the bar, sitting beside him. "A gin on the rocks, please."

Damon turned his head and glared at him, "Alright, make it quick."

Klaus frowned, "What…?"

"Whatever it is Caroline obviously sent me here to hear; say it, and say it fast."

"She told you…?"

"No, I saw right through her." He nodded at the bartender when he brought him his drink and downed it in one fluid motion. He turned to Klaus, "Well?"

"I came to say… well, the thing is…"  
><em>What <em>_**was **__he supposed to say to Damon? Caroline hadn't exactly elaborated this morning…_

"I want to… to _apologize _about what happened to Elena. I can't help but feel that all of it has been my fault…"

"Because it has," Damon cut in, and shrugged as if to say _well, it has! _when Klaus frowned at him. Klaus sighed and carried on, "I want to do whatever I can to protect her."

Damon snorted, "Because if she dies, you can't make any more of your precious hybrids…"

"No, you idiot! I'm going to do it because she's Caroline's best friend."

Damon snorted again, "Yeah, right…"

Klaus glared, trying to rein in his temper. Losing it and ripping Damon's head off would definitely not score well in Caroline's books. But the vampire was making it very difficult to… _apologize. _

"Believe it or not, Damon, I care about her. I care about what she thinks of me, and I want her to think me a better man. Surely _you _can understand that."

"_Oh _yeah," Damon said, accepting another drink and downing it just as quickly as the first. Klaus couldn't help but wonder where the hell his was.

"Well, then you understand that I'm telling the truth when I say hybrids are the… well, not the last reason, but not the first reason I'm concerned with saving your girl."

Damon looked depressed, "She's not my girl. She's Stefan's girl. She'll always be _Stefan's girl…_"

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, my friend," Klaus said, grinning and patting his shoulder. With that, he stood up and started for the door.

"Hey," Damon shouted, turning on his stool, "Hey!"

Klaus turned, "What?"

"What do you mean, _that's where I'm wrong?_"

"I mean it won't always be Stefan, Damon; do you not see the way she looks at you? She wouldn't give you doe eyes if she only saw you as Stefan's big brother."

Damon laughed and rolled his eyes, "Gee, thanks for the analysis…"

"Anytime," Klaus shrugged, turning to go again. As he exited the Grill, he still wanted to know why the hell no one had ever brought him his drink. He was pondering this when he was whacked forcefully on the back of the head, sending him flying to the ground. Before he could see who it was, a needle was stabbed into his back, and everything went dark.


	14. We Need the Doppelganger

Klaus groaned as he opened his heavy eyelids. What the hell had happened to him…?

"Rise and shine, _brother._"

Klaus moved his head to find none other than Elijah sitting in a white arm chair, fingering a dagger and watching him. Klaus frowned in confusion, "Where are we…?"

"Well, rumor has it that it's your new…_home._"

Klaus looked around and began to recognize the décor of one of the many parlors in his new manor. He swallowed roughly and attempted to sit up, "You were daggered…"

Elijah flew forward and plunged the dagger he was holding into Klaus's heart, causing his eyes to nearly bug out of his head. "Yes," Elijah sneered, "I was. That would likely be because you _betrayed me, Niklaus._"

Elijah stood menacingly over his weakened brother. Klaus shook his head, "I only did it… to protect you…!"

"To protect me?" Elijah laughed, "I've been informed that our father was killed by none other than you nearly a month ago! Why didn't you undagger us then?"

Klaus frowned and pulled the dagger from his chest, "Us…?"

"Yeah, _us._"

Klaus' eyes widened when two young men walked into the room, one with short hair, the other with longer, curly hair. Both were glaring daggers, excuse the pun, at the hybrid before them. Klaus gasped, "Kol… Finn… I can explain…"

"Save it, Nik," Kol spat, flying forward and grabbing the dagger from his brother's hands, shoving it back into his chest repeatedly. His eyes were slightly mad and a wicked grin was forming on his lips as he enjoyed his brother's gasps every time the dagger was plunged back in.

"Kol," Finn snapped, "Enough."

Kol ceased his stabbings and turned to look at his brother as though he were mad, "_Enough? What do you mean, enough…?_"

Finn was grinned as he walked over and took the dagger from Kol, "Why should you get to have all the fun? I was daggered for nearly three centuries longer than you were."

He had raised his arm to stab Klaus again when Elijah grabbed it and snatched the dagger away, "Now now, boys; we need to wait for Rebekah to get here."

Klaus frowned, "Where is she…?"

Kol grinned, "She went to find our allies."

"Allies…?" Klaus asked in confusion. Finn laughed, "Now, even you should know that we aren't the only ones who want you dead, Niklaus."

Klaus glared, "Who is she going to find…?"

"A few people and a certain girl who we need to revoke your powers," Elijah replied plainly while he used a cloth to wipe the blood from the dagger.

"_Revoke my powers…?_"

Elijah grinned, "Clearly you didn't study your magic enough, Niklaus. Whereas the doppelganger's blood awaked your werewolf side… it can just as easily eliminate it." He walked over and kneeled down next to his brother, "There's only one catch this time, though."

Klaus glared, "And what would that be…?"

"This time," Elijah looked almost remorseful, "Elena Gilbert really does need to die."

… . … . … . … . …

Caroline was flipping through a magazine, sitting beside Elena's hospital bed when she heard footsteps behind her. "Uh, this room is private…!" she had begun to say as she stood up, and gasped in shock when five vervain darts were shot at her, each finding a different target spot on her body to prolong the process before she passed out. She gaped in horror from the spot she had collapsed up at Rebekah, who twirled the dart gun in her hands and smiled down at her, "Sorry about that; it's nothing personal. You know, I was expecting to find Damon… but this is even better."

Caroline whimpered, "What are you doing…?"

"Well, it turns out I need Elena; I suppose it's a good thing I didn't kill her, after all. Now, she gets to die for a reason."

Caroline wheezed in a gasp, "No…!"

"Say… do you want to come and watch?" Rebekah was grinning devilishly, "Who knows? Perhaps Kol will take a liking to you, and you can leave town with us once this is all over and done with."

"Kol…?" Caroline squeaked, the vervain beginning to take effect.

Rebekah grinned, "One of my brothers. In fact, all of my brothers are waiting for me to return to Nik's manor… so we'd best get a move on."

Rebekah shot another dart at Caroline, and she lost consciousness. Rebekah then pulled a needle filled with an odd pink liquid and injected Elena with it, before pulling out her IV tubes and throwing her over her shoulder. Rebekah grabbed Caroline, as well, and blurred out of the room.

… . … . … . … . …

Bonnie looked up in confusion when there was a knock on her front door. Turning off the TV, she stood up and went to answer it. Her eyes widened in shock when she did. "_Stefan?_"

He smiled at her, "Hey, Bonnie. How's life treating you?"

She frowned, "What are you doing here? The last time I checked you had skipped town after you stole Klaus' coffins…"

"That's actually what I'm here about. Three out of four of those coffins are now empty, and I undaggered Rebekah last night. All four of the Original siblings are out, and vengeful, and they all want Klaus dead. I was hoping you could help us."

"_Us? _What, so you're an honorary Original now?"

Stefan chuckled, "You could say that. So, will you help?"

Bonnie frowned, "I don't trust you, Stefan. Not after what you pulled during homecoming…"

Stefan frowned; so they still didn't know the truth. Katherine had kept her mouth shut, after all. Well, he supposed it was best it stayed that way; with everyone thinking he had betrayed them. It would just be easier. "I don't blame you for not trusting me. But, the fact that you don't trust me means nothing; do you want Klaus dead, or don't you?"

Bonnie glared, "How do I know you aren't tricking me, just to get me somewhere to perform some kind of spell that I don't want to do…?"

Stefan rolled his eyes, "Bonnie, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way is that you walk out this door right now and get in my car. The hard way is when I knock you out and drag you there myself. Either way, you're coming."

Bonnie glared at him, and Stefan began to feel the back of his head prickling. Quickly, before she could give him a full-fledged aneurism, he reached in and smacked her in the face, knocking her out. Sighing, he shook his head, "We could have done this the easy way…"

… . … . … . … . …

Rebekah walked into the house, with Elena over her shoulder and Caroline being dragged behind her. When she walked into the parlor, Klaus gasped, "Why did you bring her here…?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes as she dropped Caroline and let Elena fall to the floor like a piece of trash. "Don't pout, Nik; I could have killed her when I found her in the hospital, but I didn't."

Klaus glared, "Why…?"

Rebekah grinned as she sat on one of the white couches beside Kol, "I thought she might enjoy the show."

Klaus shook his head in disbelief; this was really happening. His brothers and sister were going to perform some kind of freaky ritual, kill him, and make Caroline watch the entire thing. It was all too horrible. Then the thought hit him, "You can't do anything without a witch."

Finn grinned as he lounged against the wall, "Rebekah's little friend is taking care of that problem."

Klaus frowned, "Her friend…?"

"Stefan, obviously; he wants you dead just as much as we do."

Klaus shook his head as he looked at Elena, "He'll never let you do it. He won't let her die…"

"Oh, no, Nik," Rebekah shook her head, "I think you have things a little confused. You see, Stefan doesn't care if Elena lives nor dies. The real Salvatore problem in that area… is Damon."

Klaus glared at his sister, "And where is Damon now?"

Rebekah shrugged, "I don't know; he wasn't there. A bit odd, really. It was your little girlfriend there who was watching over the doppelganger."

Klaus felt all hope diminish; Stefan was going to likely bring the Bennett girl to perform the ritual. He was doomed. "Promise me something," he suddenly begged.

Kol glared, "We owe you nothing, Nik."

He looked up at his brother, "Promise me you won't hurt her. Once I'm dead and gone, which I likely will be… leave Caroline be."

Elijah raised an eyebrow, "Who would have guessed that the great Niklaus would fall for a high school cheerleader?"

Finn snorted, "I'm not making any promises. In fact, perhaps I'll kill her right now," he said, pulling a wooden dagger from a sheath in his belt. "No…!" Klaus cried, attempting to move; it was no use. Whatever they had used to knock him out was keeping him nearly immobile.

"Now wait a moment, Finn," Kol said, appraising Caroline, "Don't kill her just yet."

Finn glared and froze, "Just why not?"

Kol grinned, "She's pretty. I believe we could have a bit of fun with her before she dies."

Finn considered her and then shrugged, putting the dagger away, "Perhaps your right."

Elijah was rolling his eyes when there was a small noise. It sounded like a pained whimper. The Originals all noticed then that Elena was beginning to stir. Klaus' eyes widened, "Why is she waking up? She was in a coma…!"

"Oh please, Nik," Rebekah rolled her eyes, "A simple concoction Mother taught me centuries ago was all it took to wake her up. However, seeing as though it was a forced rousing…"

Elena gave an agonized scream, and Klaus and Elijah grimaced while Rebekah grinned, "It will be painful for her. Her body is rejecting it, and will continue to reject it until it believes it wants to wake on its own. So, really, the sooner we kill her, the sooner the poor little bitch will be out of her misery."

Elena screamed again, and Elijah frowned at his sister, "You never said anything about her being in pain…"

"Oh, please, Elijah; it isn't Katerina, so why should you care?"

"Because it is not humane…!"

Their squabbling was cut short when Stefan entered the room, dragging Bonnie. His eyes widened a bit at the wreathing Elena on the floor, "What's wrong with her…?"

Rebekah smiled and jumped up, walking over to him, "Don't worry about it, dearest. It's all in good fun. Soon all three of them will be dead, and we can all go have… some real fun again."

Stefan dropped Bonnie beside Caroline, and Rebekah turned to Kol, "Wake the witch; the sooner we're done with this nonsense, the better."

… . … . … . … . …

Damon walked into the wing Elena was in and sighed, running a hand through his hair. Of course, he had ended up drinking too much and stumbled home, with a buzz to rival anything Alaric had ever accomplished. He had fallen asleep, and woke hours later, horrified, to find it dark out. Now, he was walking back to Elena's room to relieve Caroline of her… extended visit.

He frowned when he realized that no one was in the room. He quickly walked to the nurses' desk, frowning at the woman who sat there. "Excuse me," he said, "was Elena Gilbert moved somewhere else…?"

The woman looked at him in confusion, "Elena who?"

Damon glared, "Elena Gilbert; she was staying in that room over there. There should have been a blonde girl staying with her today…."

The woman shook her head, "I'm sorry, sir, but there hasn't been an Elena Gilbert in this wing at all. Perhaps you're in the wrong wing…"

"No, I'm not! I've been sitting in that room day and night for over a week; she's in a damn coma!"

The woman shook her head again, "There hasn't been anyone in a coma in this hospital for years. Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave before I'm forced to call security…"

Damon stormed away from the desk and back into the room, the woman calling after him in irritation. He heard her calling someone, but he didn't care. He frowned in confusion when he spotted a needle lying on the floor by Elena's empty bed. He picked it up and recoiled, his eyes narrowed in fury.

The thing reeked of Rebekah.

Taking off with vampiric speed, he ran out of the hospital. He should have known it was a bad idea to leave Elena alone with Caroline…


	15. Blood and Fire

Bonnie woke to someone violently shaking her. She had no idea where she was, what had happened, or how she had gotten there. All she knew was that she couldn't focus unless they _stopped shaking her…!_

"That's enough, Kol! She can't perform the ritual if she's _dead, _you fool!"

Finally, the world stopped shaking and Bonnie slumped down in a heap, groaning.

"God, Bex; you just have to take the fun out of everything, don't you?"

Bonnie forced her eyes open, noticing she was in a now dark, candle lit room. She gasped when she saw the four faces looking down at her; two she knew, two she didn't. The two she was familiar with were Elijah and, Bonnie sneered, _Rebekah, _and she could only guess that the other two were who had been in the coffins. She noticed Stefan standing behind Rebekah, biting his lip nervously. She glared at him; _traitor. _

"Finally awake I see," Rebekah said, smiling her pretty, terrifying smile. Bonnie cringed away. "What do you want?" she said, her voice coming out with a nasal tone due to the fact that her nose was bleeding. She then remembered that Stefan had hit her. _Traitorous bastard, _she thought in anger, wiping away some of the blood. Rebekah was still smiling. "Oh, nothing much," she smiled. "We just need you to kill my brother."

Bonnie then noticed that Klaus was lying on the floor, seemingly immobile, across the room from her. He looked weaker and more vulnerable than she had ever before seen him and, as foolish as it was, that scared her. With Klaus out of the way, who knows what kind of havoc the Original family would wreak on the world? As awful as what he did was, obviously the two men hovering over her had been put in coffins for a reason; they were a liability. Which made them, in a way, more dangerous to them all than Klaus had ever been. Bonnie glared at Rebekah. "What makes you think I can kill him? I tried last spring, but your other _brother _didn't follow through! There's no way I can do it again!"

Rebekah was still smiling. "It isn't the same spell, Bonnie. What you need to do this time is much simpler. First, you're going to strip him of his hybridism."

Bonnie's eyes narrowed. "How…?"

Rebekah stood up straighter. "That's where things get messy and difficult, because we all know that you will never agree."

"Never agree to what…?"

"They want you to kill Elena, Bonnie," Klaus spat and Finn stalked over to where he lay on the floor, punching him in the jaw. "Shut up!" he yelled and Klaus glared as blood pooled on his chin.

Bonnie gaped at them, and then turned her eyes back to Rebekah. "Is he… is he _serious…_?"

"I'm afraid so. Finn, Kol; restrain her."

The two brothers walked over and picked the squirming, terrified Bonnie up by her arms, preventing her from running. "What are you doing?" Bonnie shrieked and Rebekah sighed. "Simply something to make you… agreeable."

Bonnie glared. "I'll never kill Elena, no matter what you do or who you threaten!"

Rebekah gave a tiny laugh. "Threaten? We aren't going to threaten anyone, Bonnie," she turned her head to frown at Klaus. "We aren't quite as barbaric as my brother."

Bonnie was glaring at her. "I won't do it!"

She then noticed that Elena was lying on one of the antique couches, asleep again. Not in a comatose state, though; she seemed to be… "Did you _drug _her?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "No, you moron; we used a type of incense herb. It put her right to sleep, and she'll be easily woken when the time comes. I believe you'll be pleased to know that a similar task will be performed on you; you'd be surprised the magic you can do with only a few herbs."

Bonnie looked stunned and disgusted. "You can't perform magic! Only a witch can…!"

"We obviously know that; that's what you're here for. But, seeing as thought our mother was a witch, we have a few… perks."

Bonnie shook her head. "You're vampires! You can't be both…!"

"I never said we were. But, being Originals, not all the rules of vampirism apply to us. We're able to use herbal concoctions our mother taught us as humans. Technically it's not magic… it's just the building blocks of a spell. We can't perform the ritual on our own, but we can use herbs to will a real witch into doing it for us."

"No," Bonnie whimpered, realizing they were serious. "No, please don't…!"

"Elijah, go fetch the incense."

He was gone and back in seconds, passing her a long brown stick of incense, containing the herbs needed for the magic to work. Rebekah lit a match and waiting for the flame to cause the scented smoke to rise. She then poised it directly under the thrashing Bonnie's nose, causing the smoke to go straight up her nostrils and affect her mind. After a few more minutes of protesting thrashing, Bonnie's face glazed over and she stopped moving. Rebekah smiled and snuffed out the flame, tossing the stick away. "You can let her go now, boys," she smiled and Finn and Kol released her, backing away a few paces. Rebekah walked up to Bonnie and smiled. "Now; you're going to perform the ritual in that book over there," she said, pointing to a grimoire that looked nearly a millennium older than Emily Bennett's.

It was Esther's spell book. The Original grimoire, as it were. Bonnie walked emotionlessly over to the book and picked it up, promptly beginning to whisper in Latin. Elijah seemed to be a bit surprised that his sister's trick had worked. How was it that she had been able to do small magic all these years and he had never known?

He jumped, pulled out of his reverie when the flames of the lit candles shot up in high columns, nearly brushing the ceiling. Elijah bit his lip. "Perhaps we should do this outside, Rebekah…"

"Why?" Rebekah asked from when she sat in an arm chair to enjoy the show.

"Because we're going to burn down the entire house!" he said and Rebekah shrugged. "Its owner will be dead soon enough, anyway. Plus, a massive house fire will be the perfect cover-up for their deaths."

Elijah sighed and shook his head, but sat down on one of the couches as well. Bonnie was now walking over to Klaus, who cringed away from her. Lord only knew what that spell had in store for him. He gaped when Bonnie took an offered dagger from Finn, bending down and slicing his throat with it, causing him to cough up numerous mouthfuls of blood. Bonnie allowed the dagger to be coated in his bile before standing up and starting for Elena.

"_Sanguine Hybrid erit excitaret te_." Bonnie said, tapping the blade so that drops of Klaus' blood dripped onto Elena's eyelids. A few seconds later she whimpered and her chocolate brown eyes flew open. She promptly began her agonized screaming again.

Still on the floor across the room from Klaus, Caroline stirred. She silently opened her heavy lids, frowning when she heard the screaming. Her eyes grew wider; she recognized that scream. "Elena…?"

Rebekah glanced down, a wicked smile curling her lips upward. "Finally decided to join the party, love?" she said and Caroline gulped. She should have known.

Klaus' sliced throat was nearly completely healed again, and he moaned, his eyes locking on Caroline, who was staring in horror at his sister. Couldn't his one wish have come true? His one and only death wish being that she not wake through this? Of course not. He didn't deserve wishes. "Caroline…" he coughed and her head whipped around to him. "Oh, my God!" she squealed, forcing herself to his side. To his surprise, no one tried to stop her. "Your throat…" she whimpered as she lay beside him. He drew in a deep breath and stroked her blonde curls. "When the time comes," he whispered to her, "_run._"

"What's going on?" she asked, tears pouring from her eyes as she watched Bonnie chant something above Elena, dripping blood onto her thrashing form. Klaus trailed his fingers down her cheek. "My siblings are going to kill me," he said hoarsely. Caroline looked shocked. "No," she shook her head. "No, no; they _can't_; you're a hybrid…!"

"That's what's going on; they're performing a ritual to take my hybridism, so they can kill me."

Caroline was nearly sobbing. "No! No, they can't!"

"I'm not the one you need to fear for, love," he said, feeling horribly guilty. "In order to take my hybridism away… they need to have Bonnie kill Elena. Then they're likely going to kill her, as well."

Caroline was trembling. This couldn't be happing. It couldn't be happening…!

"No," Caroline sobbed, knowing nothing she did would suffice against four Originals. Klaus stared into her blue eyes, hating himself for the agony he was causing her. It was his fault she was here. It was his fault they were all here. "I'm so sorry, love…" he whispered. She sobbed, "You're not going to die. Don't apologize, because no one is going to die…!"

Her denial broke his heart. Reaching over her cupped her tear streaked cheek in his hands and brought his lips to hers, kissing her one last time. Caroline was sobbing as she kissed him back. She screamed in fright, pulling away when the flames raised even higher, setting the ceiling ablaze. Bonnie's chanting was growing louder as she poised the dagger above Elena's chest. Elena was now screaming in terror as opposed to agony, her brown eyes wide. As Bonnie neared the last few words of the incantation, the door could be heard flying open. All four Originals, Klaus, and Caroline all turned to the entry way of the parlor, and Rebekah gasped in fury when a blur shot into the room. As Bonnie began to thrust the knife downward, she was suddenly knocked aside and tossed across the room. The knife missed its target, plunging into Elena's stomach instead. She screamed in more agony than ever before, and Caroline screamed as well. Klaus hid her head in his chest, holding her as tightly as he could manage in his weakened state. Rebekah gave an infuriated scream when Damon suddenly materialized before her, looking terrifyingly insane with anger. "_Bitch!_" he spat at her. Rebekah had started forward, prepared to rip his head off when she suddenly gasped, her eyes going wide with shock.

Damon had plunged the dagger from the Salvatore basement into her chest and was twisting it around as the light began to fade from her evil eyes. She gave a horrible gasp of agony as he plunged it in deeper and then tossed her aside.

He then realized the sheer idiocy of his plan, however. The furious three brothers began to stalk him, weaponless, into a corner. Damon's lip twitched in a mix of fury and fright. His blue eyes locked with the hazel of his brother's. "Stefan!" he yelled, willing some of his brother's limited humanity to still be there.

Stefan watched in torn confusion and horror as his brother was backed into the corner, defenseless against the three Original vampires. It was like an adolescent lion cub being cornered by three snarling full grown male lions. Completely unfair, and cruel. Stefan was suddenly reminded of a moment in his human life, when he had been thirteen and a snobby older boy had challenged him to a fight after school. Of course, believing he could take the boy on, he had agreed. Little did he know, the boy would show up with a posse. It had been an unfair fight, and Stefan had nearly been beaten to a pulp when, suddenly, his older brother showed up. Damon, nineteen at the time, had been walking by with Moricia Fell when he had noticed the brawl behind the school house. Then he had recognized his little brother's plea for mercy, and had sprung into action, tearing the other boys off of him in a flurry of anger and over protectiveness.

Stefan had idolized his brother after that moment, and had promised he would one day repay him.

It appeared that day was today.

"_Stefan!_" Damon yelled again, swearing loudly as Kol stabbed a broken chair leg into his shoulder. Stefan sprang forward and, having grabbed one of the daggers they had brought back with them, stabbed it into Kol's back. The vampire gasped in shock, dropping his grip on the stake. Stefan glared at Finn; having a feeling Elijah may show him some mercy. The ancient looking vampire with long, curly hair began to stalk him, snarling. Caroline noticed another dagger on one of the tabled and sprang out of Klaus' arms, diving for it.

"_Caroline, don't!_" Klaus yelled in horror. She had been running at Finn when Elijah realized what she was doing and jumped on her, pinning her down, causing the dagger to fly out of her hand and skid across the floor, which had flames licking across it. Damon, now free of the brothers, dove for the dagger and snatched it up, dashing forward and burying it in a surprised Finn's chest. Damon shoved him to his knees.

Three Originals down, one to go. But they were short a dagger. The only one left was… Damon gasped in horror and ran forward; _buried in a whimpering Elena's stomach. _He fell to his knees beside her and pulled it out, attempting to stop the bleeding as she moaned. "_Stefan!_" Damon called to his brother, tossing him the dagger.

It was useless to them. There was no white oak ash on it; only Elena's blood. Evidently, they had been planning on stabbing the blood soaked dagger into Klaus' chest. The blood of the dead doppelganger stripping him of his new way of life by killing it off. But, used on Elijah it would be useless. Stefan tossed it aside and lunged at Elijah, who was still on top of Caroline, who looked terrified. He knocked the older vampire off of her and she turned her head to look at Klaus, who was forcing himself to his knees. The makeshift sedative was starting to lose its effect, and he was slowly regaining strength.

Elijah looked depressed. "There is nothing we can do here," he said, and then he was gone. Meanwhile, the house was now entirely ablaze. Stefan was about to go after Elijah when Damon snapped at him, "Are you crazy? Get Bonnie the hell out of here!"

Stefan then remembered Bonnie, who was slumped against a wall with flames creeping toward her unconscious body. He looked back at his brother, his heart aching, "Elena…"

"I've got her; get Bonnie out of here!"

Stefan knew he had to oblige and ran forward, grabbing Bonnie and getting out of the house. Caroline was crouched beside Klaus, helping him to his feet. "We have to get out of here!" she said to him. He nodded and, with her help, started toward the door.

Damon was frantic. Not knowing what else to do, he bit into his wrist and put it to Elena's mouth, feeding her his blood. She responded, tears streaming down her cheeks as she drank. He gasped in shock when a piece of the ceiling caved in, trapping them in the flames.

They were trapped.

… . … . … . … . …

Caroline and Klaus stumbled out of the burning building just as they heard a huge smash from inside. Caroline gasped in horror as they reached the grass. "Damon and Elena are still in there!" she screamed, trying to run back. Klaus restrained her. "Don't you dare go back in there," he hissed at her. She fought against his grip, sobbing. "They'll die if I don't help them…!"

"I'll go…" Stefan had begun to say, starting forward.

"Stefan, don't," Klaus snapped and Stefan glared at him. "My brother and the girl I love are still in there…!"

"That smash was the bloody ceiling caving in on them!" Klaus said hoarsely. "They'll be burnt to a crisp before either of you could get to them. It would be a pointless suicide mission!"

Caroline was sobbing. "They're my friends, Nik; I have to help them!"

Klaus' eyes widened a bit at her statement; partially because of how determined she was to go back into the burning building, and partially because she had just called him _Nik. _Not Klaus, Nik. The term of endearment that his family and close friends had always used for him. His face fell. "Caroline, love… it's too late," he whispered and she screamed when the windows blew out of the house, flames shooting up to the sky. Sobbing, she collapsed into his arms on the grass. Stefan gaped at the house in disbelief, for he knew Klaus was right. He fell to his knees beside them, shaking his head.

Klaus held Caroline fiercely, wishing he could permanently kill every member of his family for doing this. But he knew very well that their bodies would remain perfectly intact even when the fire burnt everything else to a crisp.

_Even when it burnt Damon and Elena to a crisp. _

Placing a small kiss to Caroline's cheek, Klaus glared at the house in disgust.

_**I am so sorry that you had to wait so long for the update; I had a bit of writer's block, and all the work I had to get caught up on in school certainly wasn't helping matters. Learning the Particle Theory of Matter; not exactly Klaroline inspiration. :p So... thoughts? Comments? I hope you don't hate me too much for daggering the Originals again (except for ELIJAH!)... I may end up bringing them back some time in the future; they're fun to play with. :) But, I really want Klaus and Caroline's relationship to develope more, and with what's to come in future chapters, that's most definately going to happen. But it really couldn't with Bekey lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce and kill both of them... we'll save that for later. ;) Remember to review! (By the way... WHO ELSE IS FREAKISHLY EXCITED ABOUT TONIGHT'S EPISODE? I AM! :D )-Charlie'sLostVampire **_


	16. Romantic Advice They Never Expected

Caroline lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. All she wanted to do was sleep; sleep and get the hell away from reality. But she knew that if she allowed herself to drift off, she would dream. Dream about last night's events; the cruel smile on Rebekah's lips, Elena's screams, the sound of the roof caving in…

She squeezed her blue eyes shut against the memories, tears spilling down her cheeks as she rolled onto her side, her insides aching. She opened her eyes when she heard her bedroom door open, but didn't roll over to see who it was. She knew who it would be without even looking. "If you have another stupid blood bag, I don't want it."

The springs of her mattress creaked, and a hand touched her shoulder lightly. "Caroline, love, you have to feed; the vervain is still in your system, and you won't fully recover unless you drink…"

"I don't want it!" Caroline screeched, sitting up and glaring at Klaus. "I don't want _anything! _All I want is to be left alone! God, why don't you _get that?_"

He frowned. "Quite honestly, at this point, I don't give a damn what you want. If you feed, then I'll do what you ask. Until you do, you're stuck with me," he extended a blood bag toward her. "So _drink._"

Caroline glared. "_No._"

Klaus' lip twitched in anger; she hadn't spoken to civil words to him since they arrived at her house last night with Stefan, who was currently sitting downstairs brooding. It would appear that Caroline blamed him for everything that had happened last night, including what had happened to Damon and Elena. _Especially what happened to Damon and Elena. _He, however, found it was hardly fair for her to act that way toward him; it certainly wasn't his fault that his sister had released his siblings and they had wreaked havoc! If anything, it was more Stefan's fault than it was his!

But Caroline refused to listen to reason. She also refused to leave her bedroom, feed, change her dirty, charred clothes, _or wear her daylight ring. _

The last part was by far what frightened Klaus and Stefan the most. It would appear that she had some kind of twisted logic worked out in her mind where she believed that if Damon and Elena had burned because she hadn't tried to save them, then every time she walked in a ray of sunlight she deserved to burn as well; to feel the pain they felt. Klaus and Stefan were both terrified that she was going to try to walk out into the now bright daylight and let herself burn. It was the only thing they had agreed on in months.

"Either you drink the damn blood, or you put on your bloody daylight ring! I'm not giving you a third option here, either; if you refuse I'm just going to force it on your finger and shove the blood down your throat myself."

Caroline recoiled a bit at his sharp tone; she knew he was serious. In a sadistic, terrifying way he was trying to prove that he loved her. Glaring, she snatched the blood bag from his hands and ripped the top off, turning away from him as she drank; she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of watching her wound her pride by giving in. When she had finished she tossed the bag aside and frowned at him. "Well," she said coldly, "I drank it. Feel free to leave any time now."

He stood up. "Fine; I'll go. But Stefan is staying to make sure you don't try to kill yourself."

Caroline gave a humorless laugh. "Kill myself? You're kidding, right? I don't deserve to get off that easy after I just let them die…"

Klaus whirled again, glaring. "_Why the hell do you keep saying that?_" he snapped. "Damon and Elena's deaths were _not _your bloody fault! If you had gone in there and tried to save them, all three of you would have died."

"Well, then at least I would have died trying to save my friends, rather than have to live with the fact that I did _nothing!_"

"I suppose you blame me for all of this? For trying to keep you alive _yet again?_"

"So _that's _what you think you did? You think you were just _keeping me alive? _Do you have any idea how selfish what you did was? Going into that house should have been _my _decision! You took that away from me just to _keep me alive? _Why? Is it because I'm the only person who listens to your stupid problems? Or because you thought you might lose the only person who actually has cared about you in over seven centuries…?"

"Damn it, Caroline!" Klaus shouted with his eyes furious. "_I stopped you from running to your death because I love you!_"

She frowned. "You don't even know what love is!" she screamed. "When you love someone, you let them make their own choices! Sometimes, when you love someone, you have to let them go _even if you don't want to! _Now you've cursed me with this stupid regret that I'll have to live with _forever! _Maybe you can cope with knowing you killed the only people who ever cared about you, but _I can't!_"

Klaus took a step back shocked that she would say something like that to him. It had clearly been a jab toward the fact that he had killed every member of his family, at least once. That all of their deaths had been his fault. It only reminded him that the fact that they had all been turned unwillingly into vampires was his fault; it had been him who had told Henrik that they should go watch the men turn into wolves. It had been his fault Henrik was killed, which broke the truce and caused their parents to take action.

_It was all his fault. _

He shook his head. "You think it's so easy…" he said hoarsely, glaring. "You know nothing."

With that he turned and walked out of her bedroom and down the stairs. "I'm leaving," he said to Stefan who was sitting on the couch. Stefan frowned but didn't say anything; he had heard their entire exchange and thought it would likely be best if he didn't get involved. He simply nodded and Klaus threw the door open, stormed out and slammed it behind him. Stefan stood up and sighed, deciding he should go talk to Caroline. He walked up the stairs and cautiously entered her room where he found her curled up in her blankets, sobbing. He knew he was supposed to be cold, deceitful and off-putting, but Caroline was just one of those people who he hated to see cry. Possibly even more so than Elena which he had never really understood. "Do you want to talk?" he asked her and Caroline looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She glared. "Why would I want to talk to _you?_"

Stefan sighed and walked over to her desk, sitting in the white wooden chair with its soft pink cushion. "Maybe because the reason you're so upset is that my brother and girlfriend are dead."

Caroline sucked in a sharp breath; there it was. For the first time, proclaimed out in the open; Damon and Elena were _dead. _Hearing it out loud only made her cry harder and she buried her face in her blankets. "It's all my fault," she sobbed. "I should have done something! He shouldn't have stopped me…!"

"He's right, Caroline," Stefan said and Caroline looked up to gape at him. "He's _right? Are you insane? _He kept me from helping them…!"

"Caroline, if you had gone in there you wouldn't have even made it to the parlor again. You would have died trying and, no matter what you might think, neither Damon nor Elena would have wanted that. They would have agreed with Klaus and made you stay out of the building so you would live. The fact that you're blaming yourself for this is really a bit pathetic; even I didn't go back in there, and it was my own _brother _at stake! My flesh and blood for over 150 years, and I did nothing. _Because there was nothing I could do. _So stop blaming yourself. Stop blaming Klaus, too; the only reason the dick did what he did was because he loves you. You should know that he hasn't loved someone since he was human, which means something. Don't judge him so harshly, Caroline."

"Why are you suddenly standing up for him?" Caroline asked, wiping her eyes. "I thought you hated him…"

"I do. But I don't hate you, Caroline. You deserve to be happy, and it's obvious that he does that for you. So don't be so quick to push it away, no matter what he's done in the past. When you love someone, you forgive them for their faults, no matter how severe they may be."

Stefan couldn't help thinking about Elena when he said this, and how she had accepted the fact that he was a vampire and still loved him. That, even when she found out he was in full ripper mode, she was still hell bent on bringing him back from the edge. She had still loved him, and he had thrown it all away.

_Hell, he was an even bigger dick than Klaus, his brother, and Charlie Sheen combined. _

Caroline wiped her eyes again. "Should I… go find him?"

Stefan shook his head. "Klaus is the kind of person you don't want to confront when he's angry. Let him come to you," Stefan gave her a small smile, a bit of his old self shining through, "if he loves you as much as he says he does, he will. If not, he isn't worth it."

Caroline gave him a small, curious smile, wiping her eyes one last time. "Thanks, Stefan."

He nodded and stood up, walking out of the room and back downstairs. He suddenly remembered something and ran back up to her door. "Caroline?"

"Yeah?" she asked, looking at him. He glanced at her bedside table. "Put your ring on."

She smiled and reached over, sliding the dainty silver and lapis lazuli onto her ring finger. When she turned to thank him again, he was gone. She frowned. "Stefan?"

She stood up and walked to her door, looking around before rushing down the stairs. "Stefan…?"

She then noticed that the front door was open. He had left. So, that was it. He had done one good deed to show that he wasn't completely evil, and had then left Mystic Falls, possibly for good. Caroline gave a small smile. She hoped that, wherever Stefan chose to go now, he would find a way to be happy again.

No matter what he had done in the past, he deserved to be happy. Everyone deserves to be happy. She shut her door and gave a small sigh.

_She had learned that from the best._

… . … . … . … . … . …

After what felt like hours of endless running, Klaus stopped in front of a small, little known bar. He stormed inside and was hit with the welcoming smell of alcohol, depression, and blood. Walking up to the bar he grinned devilishly at the red headed barmaid, who was cleaning out glasses. She grinned back at him, somewhat flirtatiously. "What can I get for ya, darlin'?"

Klaus grinned, "How about a shot of whisky and," he stared into her green eyes, compelling her, "A shot of you on the side?"

She smiled, "'Course, honey pie!" She grabbed a bottle of whisky and filled him a glass, bringing it over and setting it in front of him. She then held out her wrist, grinning. Klaus quickly downed the alcohol before grabbing her wrist and latching onto it, drinking her warm blood hungrily. What with having persistently nagged Caroline to drink for the past 24 hours, he hadn't drunk a drop of fresh blood himself. He pulled away and wiped a trail of blood away from his mouth, taking the bottle of whisky from her and drinking straight from it. She picked up a cloth and held it to her wrist, staring at him wonderingly. "What's got ya down, sugar?"

Klaus rolled his eyes; stupid prying southerners. "Typical romantic dilemmas," he said, taking another drink. The woman raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Like what?" Klaus laughed bitterly. "How about like my sister tried to kill the girl I love, then all of my siblings tried to kill me while she watched, failed, got the poor girl's best friends killed, and now she hates and resents me for all of it?"

The woman stared at him for a minute and then shrugged. "That's certainly a new one. Sounds the exact opposite of typical to me, sweet pea…"

Klaus took another drink, frowning. "I suppose it is."

"Well, do ya love her?"

"Love her?" Klaus asked, frowning. "Of course I do. She's amazing; brilliant, passionate, strong, and full of light and energy; something I haven't found in a girl in a _very _long time. I love her with all of my heart."

The woman nodded. "Well, does she love you?"

Klaus frowned. "I thought she did. Apparently I doomed to not have happiness last, though; I suppose I deserve it. After all I've done, I don't deserve someone like her…"

"Aw, now don't say that; everyone deserves love, sweetie. No matter what ya done, love can always change a person. After all; a changed person starts with a change of heart, and a change of heart always comes from love and works its way outward. Don't give up on your girl just yet, darlin'; if you've both been through what you said you have, she ain't to be lost."

Klaus considered this as he swirled the alcohol around in its bottle. "She'll never take me back. Not after what I did…"

"Ya gotta fight for her! A woman like her is always worth fighting for. You better do it quick, too, 'cause women like her don't hang around for long before someone'll be snatching her up and away from you."

Klaus knew she was right; but what could he do to convince Caroline to forgive him? She was so upset… it would take a miracle to rein her back in.

Miracles weren't exactly something he had.

"I can't fight for her if she doesn't want me."

The woman grinned. "You'll never know if you don't try."

Klaus blinked a few times in thought. "Perhaps you're right… what's your name, love?"

She smiled, "Maybelle."

"Maybelle," Klaus nodded. "You're a very wise young woman, Maybelle. How is it you know so much about the kind of love I'm in?"

She grinned, "Because, honey; I happen to be married to a 375 year old vampire. I know all about sacrifices and the troubles you have to go through to make it work. But it'll be worth it in the end if she's really as special as you say she is… Klaus."

His eyes widened. "How do you…?"

"You're rather popular around these parts as of late, honey. Not to mention, other than your brother, you're the only vampire Brit to walk into this joint in years. They're not exactly everyday customers around these parts."

Klaus grinned. "Well, in that case," he pulled out two hundred dollars and slapped it onto the counter. "Keep the change. If your husband asks, tell him that Niklaus says he has a very charming wife."

She smiled as he stood up. "Will do, honey pie. Tell that girl of yours that she'd better smarten up, or some other lucky young girl'll snatch _you _away from _her._"

Klaus chuckled. "Not likely."

Tossing her one last smile, he walked back out the bar door.

… . … . … . … . …

Caroline stood in her living room, looking longingly out her window. The more she thought about what she had said to Klaus, the more horrible she felt. There truly was no excuse for her to have been so cruel; all he had done was protect her and try to help. How had she repaid him? By making a horrible jab at his family issues, and then not even acting the slightest bit sorry. It wouldn't surprise her in the least if he never showed up again, or had found someone else to "fancy". After all, he really had no other reason to stay in Mystic Falls; with his doppelganger dead, there was nothing left for him here.

Wincing at the painful reminder of Elena and Damon, Caroline sat down on her couch and listened to the eerie silence. She sat there for what felt like hours, and the house had gotten dark around her when suddenly there was a knock on her door. She jumped in shock; she hadn't even heard anyone approaching. She slowly stood up and exited the living room. Her eyes grew wide in surprise when she saw who was standing on the other side of her front door through the window. Standing there, seeming a bit nervous, in all of his sandy haired, scruffy glory was…

"Nik!" she gasped, throwing the door open and tossing her arms around his neck, hugging him fiercely. "God, I'm so sorry! I thought you weren't going to come back…!"

He held her tightly and ran a hand through her blonde curls. "Of course I came back," he chuckled lightly and pulled away a bit. "I told you I loved you, and I meant it."

"I am so sorry about what I said… I was so _horrible…_"

"I deserved it, love…"

"No, you didn't! No matter what you could have possibly done, there was no excuse for me to say the things I did… I'm so, so, _so sorry…_"

She hugged him even tighter and buried her face in his shirt, indulging in the woodsy musk-like scent that was purely him and him only. He laid his cheek on her hair and ran his hand down the length of her blonde waves. "I forgive you, love… I'll always forgive you."

She gave a small laugh. "You'll probably have to get used to me apologizing… I don't really think; I just say whatever comes to mind, no matter how awful it may be. Then I end up groveling for forgiveness a few hours later." She met his eyes and Klaus smiled. "I certainly hope I can get used to it."

Caroline's face became hopeful, and a second later she bounced up and kissed him passionately, her arms locking more firmly around his neck. He held her tighter, kissing her back. It was the first kiss they had shared since that awful night with Rebekah in the Lockwood tunnels, and, in a way, this kiss was even better. It wasn't filled with angst, or the fear of losing one another; it was purely filled with _love. _Love that he hadn't felt in centuries and love so powerful Caroline had never before experienced it. Kissing Damon, and Matt, and Tyler; none of them had come close to kissing Klaus. None of them had his passion, his delicateness, his over powering love for her. It was something she had always yearned for, but never received until falling into his clutches. As she finally pulled away to look into his eyes, she knew she was in love with him. She was in love with one of the oldest vampires on earth, _the _hybrid… and there was no turning back.

As she laid her head on his chest, she knew that she never wanted to.

… . … . … . … . …

The rubble of what used to be a fabulous mansion was still smoking, certain areas still slightly on fire, but dying down. For some odd reason, no one had called in the roaring fire that shot flames fifty feet into the night sky. Perhaps it was a good thing that they hadn't. What would the fire department have had to say about the three grey, wrinkled corpses that were still perfectly intact and unscathed, that also contained daggers stabbing through each of their hearts?

Yes, it was a good thing that no one had called in the fire that burnt Mr. Klaus' new manor to the ground.

In the darkness, a raccoon scampered out of the woods bordering the property, coming over to examine the smouldering remains of the house. It seemed to be a reasonably good place to stash its goodies, not to mention it had plenty of still shimmering goodies of its own. In fact, one thing that was glittering in the moonlight in particular caught the scavenger's eye; it was something shining silver and deep blue. The raccoon scampered over to examine it more closely, and greedily on impulse grabbed the small, oval shaped object and began to pull, trying to free it from the mass of rubble and wood it was trapped it. The animal made irritated hissing noises when it couldn't free it, and squealed when it finally pulled it out of the rubble. It began to sniff it in confusion when it realized that it was attached to something. The raccoon hissed in fury and began to attempt to claw the shimmering object from its holder.

A few seconds later, the raccoon fell dead to the ground, its neck having been snapped. The possessor of the glimmering silver and blue oval twitched and grasped for a firm grip on something; the possessor was a pale, flawless hand, and the object happened to be a rather large, bulky ring. It finally grasped a firm chunk of wood and pulled. Seconds later the crushing rubble parted, and a human being pulled itself out of the wreckage, his clothes tattered and burnt, ash covering his cheeks.

In the dark night filled with smoke, the crystalline blue eyes of Damon Salvatore flashed.


End file.
